« Joëlle Mauris is a young, talented cellist with whom I have had the pleasure on a number of occasions to work. She is intelligent, industrious, and highly motivated… »

“Joëlle is an ambitious budding cellist whose dedication, interest, enthusiasm and talent make her a very positive choice…” , Gary Hoffman, cellist

Joëlle Mauris is a Swiss musician, cellist, multidisciplinary artist, and singer-songwriter. Her artistic work spans a wide range of genres, including classical music, contemporary creation, chanson, theatre, and interdisciplinary projects. She performs as a soloist and as part of various ensembles, in roles ranging from performer to composer, arranger, and vocalist. Critics frequently highlight her musical sensitivity and striking stage presence.

Since 2006, she has performed regularly in Switzerland and abroad (Canada, Germany, Austria, France, Mexico, Australia), both in solo recitals and in chamber music settings. She is notably a member of Duo Axus Mundi(cello and piano), with which she has performed the complete Beethoven sonatas in a single concert.

She has a particular interest in new music and multidisciplinary creations. In 2016, she won a project competition around Présence by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, organized by the Tanner Foundation and the Les Jardins Musicaux Festival. The resulting performance, blending music, dance, and theatre, premiered at the Théâtre du Galpon in Geneva, following an earlier version broadcast by Swiss Radio and Television (RTS).

In 2019, she conceived two new stage projects: Variété by Mauricio Kagel, which brings together musicians and acrobats, and Il était deux fois, un Phoenix – Traversée d’une violence invisible, combining classical music, chanson, and storytelling. These creations led to the founding of the Compagnie vidARciTa, which now supports her artistic ventures.

She collaborates regularly with various cultural institutions and organizations, including Théâtre Am Stram Gram, the Museum of the History of Science, the Circo Bello and Amalthea associations, and Compagnie Oxyde.

Alongside her live performance work, she has developed a discography in collaboration with composer Lee Maddeford: Mon Plus Bel Héritage (2020) and Em (2022), two albums blending instrumental duos with original songs.

Joëlle Mauris has been teaching cello since 2006 and also works in academic settings. She was, notably, a lecturer at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she taught “Lower Strings Techniques.”

Background and Education

Joëlle Mauris earned her Cello Studies Certificate from the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique in Geneva in 2004, graduating with highest honors. She continued her training at the Haute École de Musique de Genève (Master’s in Music Pedagogy, 2009), the Glenn Gould School in Toronto (Artist Diploma, 2012), the Conservatoire de Montréal (Postgraduate Certificate, 2013), and Memorial University of Newfoundland (Master’s in Performance and Pedagogy, 2015). She was a recipient of the Suncor Energy String Fellowship, awarded to four musicians through the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

Wishing to acquire project management skills, she completed a Certificate of Advanced Studies en gestion de projets culturels et musicaux at the HEM in 2016.

She has studied with renowned figures such as Janos Starker, Gary Hoffman, Christophe Coin, Ana Chumachenco, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Zubin Mehta, and Sir Roger Norrington.

She had the honor of serving as principal cellist in a performance for Prince Charles and Lady Camilla in Canada. She has received several prizes and scholarships awarded by the Glenn Gould School, Memorial University, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, the Tanner Foundation, the Toronto Summer Academy & Festival, the Friends of the Neuchâtel Conservatory, and the Swiss Society for Music Education.

Her passion for contemporary music has led her to premiere works by Canadian composers including Sophie Dubois, Adam Scime, Mark Duggan, and William Rowson, at festivals such as the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Toronto New Music Festival, and the Newfound Festival. She was principal cellist of the Glenn Gould School’s New Music Ensemble and of the Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Conservatoire de Montréal.

Finally, she worked as coordinator for the Swiss Federation of Street Arts (2016–2017) and as education and outreach officer for Ensemble Contrechamps (2016–2020).