Introducing... Chantal Woodhouse, Sub-Principal Cello
How did you become involved with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)?
I started playing with the RPO in December 2002. We went on a tour over New Year to China, and it felt like such an adventure; so exotic and exciting. I certainly felt like I’d been thrown in at the deep end!
What was your first experience of orchestral music?
My first experience of orchestral music was as a teenager. I attended a Saturday morning music centre where we learnt some really exciting works, played loads of quartet and chamber music, and studied theory and aural to a high level. I looked forward to the weekends as it was stimulating, and I had great friends there, too. At school, my music teacher was a Baroque enthusiast, so we performed numerous Bach cantatas, and I loved playing continuo.
How did you find yourself on this career journey?
I’d been pretty academic at school and had always assumed that music was my ‘hobby’. Then I attended a music course around the age of 14 and had such fun – I think I laughed all week! And the penny dropped. I suddenly realised that maybe I could actually earn money and have a career doing something I absolutely loved. So, the practice ramped up and despite often being plagued by doubt in my abilities, I persevered and have been lucky enough to have had jobs in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and, of course, the RPO, where I’ve been for 22 years.
What is the best thing about being part of the RPO family?
By far the best thing about being in the RPO family is the camaraderie. So much is said without words when we are performing – a shared intent to give our all, an incredible force of passion, knowing glances across the orchestra at a particularly beautiful chord or melody played by a colleague, and the occasional sly smirk about which I could not possibly comment! And it is a huge support network, too. When I sustained a terrible finger injury in 2023 and feared I would never play again, my RPO friends and colleagues were 100% behind me, catching me if I was falling and supporting me in my rehabilitation.
Tell us about your favourite RPO journey.
I love to travel, and my favourite RPO tour was actually a long time ago, in 2003. It was a trip to Mexico, and the most wonderful experience. We toured all around the country and I have so many fun memories, such as a private tour of the pyramids at Teotihuacan, visiting Frida Kahlo's house in Mexico City, experiencing Guadalajara around the ‘Day of the Dead’ celebrations and yoga in Cancun. We played Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony many times and laughed A LOT (aided by a few post-concert margaritas, tequilas and cervezas!). I’d love to go back there.
Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
My ritual before a performance is putting on my concert make-up. I’ve come to realise, it’s a bit like putting on war paint! Once the eyeliner is on, I’m ready to face the audience, and a calm confidence comes over me. We once travelled to Merano in Italy, and all our luggage was delayed. We had to perform in our ‘civvies’ and looked a terrible mess! We’d probably been up since 4am and were in flip flops and t-shirts and were feeling rather bedraggled. I felt really exposed and found the concert weirdly difficult.
Must listens – if you had to recommend one artist or composer, who would it be and why?
My must-listen-to composer would be Benjamin Britten, probably due to my previous life as an opera cellist, and I am in awe of the power of the human voice. I love his music because it has a cleanliness about it, without losing emotion, though it is not too ‘heart on sleeve’. I generally like music that is expressive without being too overt (though my favourite piece of all time is Respighi's totally Romantic Pines of Rome…). Britten’s music is great to play, often a challenge, but so descriptive, well-written and orchestrated. Try the Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings or, for something meatier, his operas A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Billy Budd.
Symphonic crossover – if you could work with any artist on a performance or project, who would you choose?
If I could work with any artist to crossover boundaries into different repertoire, I would choose an amazing actor like Ralph Fiennes. In the past, I’ve been very lucky to work on collaborations of Shakespeare’s words with music with stars like Dame Judi Dench, and I love watching actors perform; they have such amazing stage presence and craft. I get very star-struck!
Away from music, tell us two of your favourite hobbies and why they strike such a chord.
Away from the cello, I love to cook – I spend an obscene amount of time thinking about food! But more than that, I like to sow a seed, tend and care for it, watch it bud, grow, fruit and finally end up on my plate picked straight from my garden. I also love to read. I’ll read anything and everything. We have an RPO book club, which is always a fun night out on tour. I find it fascinating how everyone has differing opinions and emotional reactions to the same words. I’m currently reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart, which is heartbreakingly raw but fabulous, nonetheless.
Dream dinner party – who would you invite, what would you cook?
Concocting a dream dinner party has been the hardest question! Do I go intellectual, historical, or iconic? In the end, I decided to emphasise the word PARTY. So, I’m inviting Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Bruno Mars and Prince. I’ll cook some kind of wholesome French casserole, with lots of buttery mash to soak up the free-flowing wine, and some homemade bread to soak up the juices, whilst I soak up the inevitable jam session that would ensue, and we would party the night away into the wee small hours.
First published May 2025