Recently returning to Australia from six years of performing in New York City, cellist Richard Vaudrey is quickly becoming a notable force in the new breed of string players - classically trained and proficient across a multitude of genres. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Richard was a scholarship holder at The Australian National Academy of Music before heading to the United States, where he completed Doctoral study in classical cello performance and contemporary improvisation at SUNY Stony Brook, studying with Colin Carr and Ray Anderson whilst acting as Teaching Assistant to the Emerson String Quartet. Richard has had a prolific background in chamber music and performs regularly both as a soloist and collaborator across a multitude of genres including classical, new music, jazz, folk and pop in venues including Carnegie hall, 92Y Tribecca, SubCulture, The Stone, Alice Tully Hall and the Harvey Theatre, BAM.
Richard’s latest solo project “VAUDREY“ a unique blend of post-chestral-indie-dub -folk-pop for cello voice and electronics has been showcased in New York City (Subculture, Rockwood Music Hall), Sydney and Melbourne (Toff in Town) Australia. Born from the inspiration of the late Arthur Russell, (the subject for Richard’s Doctoral Research) VAUDREY’s songs and compositions piece together the essence of popular song orchestrated for hand crafted instruments with modern electronics and production. His Debut EP, completed in New York City with notable collaborators Stephen Feigenbaum (aka JULIUS), Joseph Higgins, Andrew Wright (Just Blaze, Eminem), David Linaburg (J-COLE) and Andrew Conklin is due for release in 2016.
Richard currently resides in Blairgowrie, Australia - an oceanside base for his creative projects, songwriting, film and television scoring and education.
In 2015 Richard co-composed, arranged, and recorded the orchestral and string scoring for acclaimed Television Series “Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane” airing on ABC Australia and NBC’s SeeSo in the United States.
Richard has held positions as Adjunct Professor of Cello at Western Connecticut State University, is a member of the Numinous Ensemble and the multidisciplinary performance collective thespacewemake. He also has performed with The American Modern Ensemble, Ensemble Mise-en, IKTUS Percussion, the S.E.M Ensemble, Indie band all boy/all girl and Mr Twin Sister. Richard is currently redesigning a Music Program in Australia as Head of Instrumental and Ensemble Music at The Peninsula School, Mt Eliza.
Richard plays “The Beleura Cello” - a 1791 William Forster cello generously loaned by the Tallis Foundation.