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​Internationally acclaimed cellist Inbal Megiddo is recognised as one of the leading cellists of her generation, celebrated for her interpretive depth, expressive range, and command of repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary. As a soloist she has performed in the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Berlin Philharmonie, and Staatsoper Berlin. Her concerto performances with leading orchestras such as the Berlin Symphony have earned widespread critical acclaim, with Maestro Zubin Mehta praising her as “an extremely talented, very musical musician.” Her recital at Lincoln Center was hailed by the press for its “magical expression and technical expertise,” and her playing has been described as “sincerity personified.”

Ms. Megiddo’s artistry has garnered international recognition through performances with premier orchestras across four continents, including, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Ukraine Philharmonic, Orchestra Wellington, the Lithuanian Philharmonic, the Prague Symphony, and the Jerusalem Symphony. She has collaborated with world-renowned conductors Daniel Barenboim, Shlomo Mintz, Lior Shambadal, Harry Ellis Dickson, David Stern, Sergiu Comissiona, and Roman Kaufman. She has given recitals and radio broadcasts across Germany, Spain, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, and the United States, including the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago and WQXR in New York, and has toured extensively with pianist Saleem Ashkar.

An advocate for the music of minority and suppressed composers, Ms. Megiddo has given the Australasian premieres of concertos by Weinberg, Barber, and Villa-Lobos, with critics describing her performances as “superb…virtuosic, brilliant and powerful.” Her enthusiasm for contemporary repertoire has resulted in premières of concertos by Jan Radzynski (New York première at Lincoln Center) and New Zealand-based composer Anthony Ritchie (written for her), as well as works by Ezra Laderman, Ross Harris, David Brubeck, Ofer Ben Amots, Douglas Lilburn, and Michael Williams, with ongoing collaborations with distinguished composers Laurence Sherr, Lori Laitman, and John Psathas.

Ms. Megiddo’s recordings can be heard on multiple labels, with releases for Atoll, Naxos, Navona, Delos, and Rattle Records receiving critical acclaim and international honours, including a Grammy nomination for her recording with the Yale Cellos. Her recent album of the Bach Suites drew particular praise: Strings Magazine called her “a modern, lively ambassador for Bach’s vision,” while MusicWeb International placed her “among the top contenders,” noting the “great deal of drama and intensity” in her playing. Her recording of the Beethoven complete works for cello and piano was likewise warmly received, and her recordings of Debussy with the Te Kōkī Trio, of which she is a founding member, were a finalist for Best Classical Album at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Upcoming releases include an album pairing Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto with works by Clara Schumann, and “Forbidden Voices,” devoted to works banned by the Nazis.

Ms. Megiddo’s musical journey began at age two, and she gave her first performances a year later. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yale University, where she studied with and served as assistant to Aldo Parisot, and received private lessons from Mstislav Rostropovich, later performing in his cello ensemble to mark the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her earlier teachers included Uzi Wiesel and Shmuel Magen , and she has worked in masterclasses with artists including Janos Starker, Heinrich Schiff, Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, and Yuri Bashmet. Her chamber music collaborations span artists including members of the Tokyo String Quartet, members of the New Zealand String Quartet, Erick Friedman, Peter Oundjian, Boris Berman, Peter Frankl, Claude Frank, and Ben Verdery.

As a sought-after pedagogue, Ms. Megiddo serves as Associate Professor and Head of Cello Studies at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington, and has held faculty positions at the Yale School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory. She has given residencies and masterclasses at institutions including the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, New England Conservatory, the University of North Texas, the Central Conservatory in Beijing, and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore, as well as festivals including the International Cello Congresses in Japan and Israel. She is founder and director of the Cellophonia International Festival in Wellington, serves as Master Teacher for iClassical Academy’s global platform and as juror in international competitions, and is a Distinguished Guest Artist of the International Melbourne Cello Festival.

The Stradivari Society has awarded her use of a Stradivarius cello on loan in recognition of her exceptional artistry. A Larsen Artist, Ms. Megiddo has performed on this historic instrument alongside her 1923 Giuseppe Fiorini cello.