An artist of profound originality, (…) a voice both powerful and gentle.” — La Libre

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Belgian-American cellist Pierre Fontenelle pursues an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. A top prizewinner in numerous international competitions (Breughel, Buchet, Baert...) he served as Cello-Soloist of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège from 2019 to 2022 before focusing on an independent career. He received the 2024 FUGA Trophy from the Belgian Composers Union in recognition of his commitment to Belgian music.

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He has performed as a soloist in prestigious venues including Flagey, the Queen Elisabeth Chapel, La Seine Musicale, the Taipei National Concert Hall, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. He has also appeared with renowned ensembles such as the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Musiques Nouvelles, and Casco Phil.

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His adventurous repertoire goes well beyond the traditional concerti (Haydn, Schumann, Dvorak, Elgar...) to also include works off the beaten path by composers such as Gulda, Gubaidulina, Romitelli, Vasks, and Jesupret. Pierre explores baroque music and more popular formats with his Duo Kiasma, alongside accordionist Frin Wolter (First Prize – Accordé’Opale Competition).

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Originally self-taught in his childhood in Seattle, he later trained at the conservatories of Luxembourg, Namur (IMEP), Mons, and Paris, under the guidance of Éric Chardon, Han Bin Yoon, and Anne Gastinel. Now a professor at IMEP, he performs on an 1860 Nicolas-François Vuillaume cello, made available by the King Baudouin Foundation thanks to the generosity of the Léon Courtin–Marcel Bouché Fund and the Strings For Talent Foundation, as well as a 1690 Ruggieri cello.

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Named Namurois of the Year in 2020, Pierre places musical practice firmly within the life of his city. He regularly conceives and leads charity concerts in Namur, works with the Festivals de Wallonie to bring music into retirement homes, hospitals and prisons, and founded the Concerts des Dames series at the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Vivier in 2021 to support emerging young Belgian chamber musicians. Beyond performance, he has actively promoted youth entrepreneurship, speaking for the non-profit 100,000 Entrepreneurs.