ABC Classics is delighted to announce the release of a new album from virtuosic young cellist Li-Wei Qin, showcasing three favourite British twentieth-century masterworks in brilliant new performances.

Li-Wei is the soloist in two of the best-loved works in the cello repertoire. The disc closes with Elgar’s Cello Concerto, one of the most popular of all concertos (voted number 5 in ABC Classic FM’s Classic 100 Concertos survey). But perhaps the jewel in the crown of this recording is Li-Wei’s brilliant performance of Walton’s Cello Concerto, full of stunning lyricism and deft virtuosity. The album is completed by Britten’s haunting and atmospheric Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes. Recorded with the world-leading London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Zhang Li, these performances promise to become a staple in the catalogue for years to come.

Born in Shanghai, Li-Wei Qin moved to Australia at the age of 13. He has appeared all over the world as a soloist and chamber musician, performing with groups including the BBC Symphony, Melbourne Symphony and Australian Chamber orchestras and with musicians including Daniel Hope, Mischa Maisky and Jirí Belohlávek. He appeared at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), the 2012 London Olympics and the Davos World Economics