Alongside his orchestral and ensemble work, Josh Mountford maintains an active solo practice, appearing in concerto performances, recitals, and solo cello recording projects for film and television.
Recent solo engagements include a performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Gorton Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2024, with a video including extracts from the first and third movement (right). Further repertoire includes Debussy’s Cello Sonata, performed with piano accompaniment, illustrating a broad stylistic range from late Romantic to early 20th-century repertoire. Josh and Tomos Boyles performed this sonata, receiving highly commended, reaching the final of Royal Academy of Music’s Duo Prize in 2022.
Josh’s concerto repertoire includes works by Haydn C major & D major, Elgar, Dvořák, Schumann and Shostakovich, with additional works performed as part of ongoing recital and orchestral collaborations. Sonata repertoire includes Prokofiev, Beethoven, Brahms E minor and Debussy, among others. Solo works performed include Ligeti, Hindemith’s Solo Sonatas, and selections from Bach’s Cello Suites.
He was awarded the Shirley Catterall Award at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2022, recognising outstanding musical achievement and artistic promise.
Josh is an experienced session cellist, performing as a soloist on numerous film and television soundtracks. Recent work includes recording for the HIPA 2025 Photography Awards with With Feeling, as well as contributing to the score of the 2025 feature film The Chocolate Club.
