Chris explains what this opportunity entails and what it means to be the face of Bard College Conservatory of Music's Graduate Instrumental Program. He also highlights what it means to him to study under Peter Wiley and gives advice to aspiring cello players. 

Chris van Zyl started his career as cellist at the age of seven under the tutelage of Michael Haller, then cellist of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State. He made his debut as soloist at the age of 11 with Nataniel and the Bloemfontein Mens' Choir. As finalist in the Grahamstown Music Society Concerto Competition, he performed as soloist with Rhodes University Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13. In 2011, he was appointed principal cellist of the Stellenbosch Chamber Music Festival Orchestra, and performed the solo cello part in the world premiere of "Kasi", composed by Hendrik Hofmeyr. In 2012, he obtained the Advanced Performance Certificate in cello (Trinity College London) with distinction and was awarded the Trinity College Exhibition Award for the highest achievement in cello in South Africa. 

In 2013, he joined the OSM Camerata and participated in the International Orchestra Festival in St Petersburg, Russia. In 2016, Chris attended master classes at the Gulbenkian Institute in Portugal under Varoujan Bartikian. In the same year Chris won the runner up strings prize at the National Music Competition. He was invited to participate in the 2017 Unisa music competition where he received the Du Toit van Tonder scholarship . In 2018, he toured as the principal cellist with the MIAGI orchestra and played in world-renown concert halls like the Elbphilharmonie(Hamburg), the Royal Consertgebouw (Netherlands) and the Konzerthaus (Berlin). Chris has also played in an orchestra at festivals such as the Immling festival (Germany) and the Gustav Mahler festival (Italy). Chris has held the following Principal cellist positions: Grey Ensemble, Grey orchestra, Free State Youth Orchestra, OSM Camerata and the MIAGI orchestra.

Chris was invited as a faculty member of the International Gauteng Chamber Music Festival in 2017 and 2019 respectively. He finished his Bachelor in Music degree under the tutelage of Anmari van der Westhuisen. at the University of the Free State. He won the scholarship for the best Undergraduate performer in any orchestral instrument at the UFS for two successive years. Chris is currently enrolled for his Master’s degree in music performance at Bard College Conservatory of Music and won a position in the studio of award winning cellist Peter Wiley, famous cellist of the Guarneri Quartet and teacher at Curtis Institute of Music and Bard College Conservatory of Music. Chris regularly performs in The Orchestra Now (TON), under conductor, Maestro Leon Botstein and has performed in the Fisher Centre, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Carnegie Hall.