Biography
For Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas, music has been a source of joy, expression, and connection since the age of four. Renowned for performances of exceptional emotional depth and technical elegance, she has emerged as one of the most distinctive voices of her generation. With an ability to move effortlessly between profound introspection and radiant lyricism, Camille brings an authenticity and expressive power to the stage that resonates deeply with audiences around the world.
Highlights of the 2026–27 season include Camille's debut with Malmö Symphony Orchestra under Karen Kamensek to perform Urban Prayer by Karen Tanaka, a return to Orchestre National Avignon Provence, and a South American symphonic and recital tour including debuts with Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires at Teatro Colón, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
Camille will also embark on a recital tour to Asia with pianist Julien Brocal, performing their Rendez-vous programme, which includes a return to Premiere Performances of Hong Kong as part of its 20th Anniversary Season, alongside debut performances at Shenzhen Luohu Cultural Centre, Shanghai Concert Hall, Qintai Concert Hall in Wuhan, and Fujian Grand Theatre in Fuzhou. The duo will return to Tippet Rise Art Center in September—the place where they recorded their acclaimed Rendez-vous album—for a special performance. Further duo appearances this season include concerts at Flagey as part of the Brussels Cello Festival, Concertgebouw Amsterdam's Classical Highlights series, and the Festival Musique et Neige. Camille also continues her role as Artistic Director of the Viva Cello Festival in Liestal, Switzerland.
Recent seasons have seen Camille appear with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Katharina Wincor, Orchestra della Svizzera italiana with Joseph Bastian, Taiwan Philharmonic under Michael Sanderling, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra with Junichi Hirokami, Residentie Orkest with David Danzmayr, and Bochum Symphony Orchestra under Gemma New. Other notable engagements have included a five-city tour with Euskadiko Orkestra, as well as performances with the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien under Kevin John Edusei, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland with Patrik Ringborg, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Manfred Honeck, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra with Junichi Hirokami, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra under Robert Forés Veses, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra with Oksana Lyniv, Korean National Symphony Orchestra under Hong Seok-won, and Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava with Andrey Boreyko.
Camille Thomas has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2017. Her first album, Voice of Hope (2020), features the world-premiere recording of Fazıl Say's Never Give Up, composed for her in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Istanbul. Released in partnership with UNICEF, the album reflects Camille's conviction in music's power to inspire hope and healing.
Her subsequent release, The Chopin Project Trilogy (2021), recorded between Paris and Warsaw during the pandemic, was widely praised for its lyrical intensity and emotional authenticity. One of Camille's most ambitious projects to date, the trilogy pays tribute to the composer's favourite instrument through three albums. The final chapter, Cello Arrangements, presents an enchanting collection of works by Chopin arranged for the cello by everyone from Franchomme and Glazunov to Misha Maisky and Thomas herself.
In May 2024, Camille released her first crossover album, Aznavouriana, dedicated to the legendary Charles Aznavour to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. A declaration of love to the music of Aznavour—the great poet and songwriter who profoundly shaped French chanson—the album was recorded with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under Sergey Smbatyan. It features beloved songs including La Bohème, She, Esperanza, and La Mamma.
On her upcoming album, Philip Glass for Cello, Camille celebrates the composer's forthcoming 90th birthday with a deeply personal tribute to his music. The project grew out of a unique artistic exchange: impressed by her recordings, Glass shared the scores of his two cello concertos with the French cellist, sparking the idea for this album.
At the heart of the project are Glass's rarely performed First and Second Cello Concertos, performed with Brussels Philharmonic under Oscar Jockel. The programme also includes evocative arrangements from Glass's celebrated film scores for The Hours and The Truman Show, alongside selected Études newly transcribed for cello ensemble.
Born in Paris in 1988, Camille studied with Marcel Bardon before moving to Berlin to work with Stephan Forck and Frans Helmerson at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. She later continued her studies with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar.