New Zealand cellist Richard Belcher has performed as a chamber musician and in solo settings across the USA and internationally. His time is principally taken up as cellist of the Enso String Quartet, of which he is a founding member. The Enso Quartet tours regularly, and has performed in many of the major concert halls throughout the USA, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center of New York, and the Library of Congress. In addition to performing, the quartet has made highly successful recordings, including the Grammy-nominated CD of the Ginastera String Quartets for the Naxos label. Richard maintains a busy schedule outside of his quartet’s touring by performing on various series throughout North America. He is Principal Cellist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and has been a regular performer for Music in Context, often collaborating with series founder Sergiu Luca.

Richard enjoys teaching and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, for three summers was on faculty at Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and currently is on the faculty at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp. Richard moved to the USA in 1998 to study with Aldo Parisot at Yale University, and it was there in 1999 that he founded the Enso Quartet. Other major teachers include Norman Fischer, Marc Johnson, Alexander Ivashkin, and Frances De Goldi. Richard plays an N.F Vuillaume cello made in 1856, and lives in New York City.