His rise as a solo cellist began at La Monnaie, where he also won prizes at major international competitions (Namburg USA and Adam NZ), launching his international solo career.
In recent seasons, he has been invited to perform as a soloist, notably appearing in works such as Don Quixote by Richard Strauss with the Katowice Orchestra, Gulda’s Cello Concerto at the Bratislava Philharmonic, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with the Orchestre de Metz, and Jacques Offenbach’s Military Concerto with the Orchestre National de Bretagne, among others.
Subsequently, with the support of American cellist Andrés Díaz in Dallas, Texas, Sébastien Hurtaud began teaching highly advanced young professionals, both American and international. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses at prestigious universities in the United States, New Zealand, Central America, and elsewhere.
Alongside his solo and teaching career, Sébastien Hurtaud regularly collaborates with European chamber music partners such as Slovenian violinist Lana Trotovšek, Spanish pianist María Canyigueral, Dutch pianist Pieter-Jelle Deboer, and Italian pianist Bruno Canino.
In duo with his wife, concert pianist Paméla Hurtado, he recorded the complete works for cello and piano by Paul Hindemith for the Naxos label.
He gave the Paris premiere of Ballade and Pas de Deux by composer Youli Galperine and is currently involved in the creation of new cello concertos written especially for him by Argentine and Australian composers Claudio Alsuyet and Matthew Hindson.
His recent recordings of Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Gareth Farr’s Chemin des Dames Concerto, as well as his participation in the latest album by composer Evgeni Galperine for ECM, have received international acclaim.
In 2024, Sébastien Hurtaud joined the faculty of the École Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot as Professor of Cello.
In the 2025–26 season, he is invited to perform in Tunisia, Chile, Korea, Australia, Malta, and elsewhere as both a soloist and chamber musician, and premiered the first concertante work for cello and orchestra by Maurice Ravel, orchestrated by composer Anthony Girard.
