The Six Cello Suites of J.S. Bach are frequently considered to be Bach’s greatest masterpieces and are a pinnacle of the Baroque cello repertory. This new Double Album of Bach’s complete Cello Suites has the unique feature of being performed using two different historic cellos, one of them being a rare five-string instrument from the 17th century which is used on Suite 6.

William Skeen is one of the world’s premiere Baroque cellists. He serves as Principal Cellist with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Voices of Music, and was Principal Cellist of the American Bach Soloists for nearly two decades. He is a founding member of the New Esterházy Quartet, the Cantata Collective, and La Monica. Mr. Skeen taught baroque cello and viola da gamba at the University of Southern California for two decades. Mr. Skeen has received two Grammy nominations. He continues to perform regularly with major orchestras and Baroque groups around the world.

San Francisco-based album producer Lolly Lewis founded her recording production company Transparent Recordings in 1980. Notable projects include Anthony Davis’s opera Tania, a premiere recording of orchestral music by Harlem Renaissance composer Florence Price with the Women’s Philharmonic Orchestra, and a Berlioz series with San Diego Symphony. In recent years, Ms. Lewis has been particularly focused on period instrument performance and has produced six albums with the New Esterházy Quartet. This new release of the Six Cello Suites was beautifully recorded by famed multi-GRAMMY®-winning engineer Leslie Ann Jones at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California. It was mastered by RR’s own multi-GRAMMY®-nominated engineer, Sean Royce Martin.

William Skeen, Cello and Violoncello Piccolo