Biography

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, American cellist John-Henry Crawford has earned recognition for his “polished charisma” and “singing sound (Philadelphia Inquirer)” In 2019, he was awarded First Prize at the IX International Carlos Prieto Cello Competition and was named Young Artist of the Year by the Classical Recording Foundation.

From an early age, Crawford’s musical pathway was clear: the son of a musical family, he began cello studies at age five at the Centenary Suzuki School in Louisiana. At age 15 he was admitted to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Peter Wiley and Carter Brey, and eventually served as principal cellist of the Curtis Orchestra. He went on to earn a Master of Music at The Juilliard School under Joel Krosnick, an Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music with Philippe Muller, and pursued advanced study in Chicago with Hans Jørgen Jensen. Other important musical mentors in his life have been cellists Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, and Andres Diaz.

Crawford has performed extensively as soloist and recitalist, spanning 25+ states in the U.S. and international appearances in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, the Canary Islands and Switzerland. Notable venues include The International Concert Series of the Louvre in Paris and Volkswagen’s Die Gläsern Manufaktur in Dresden, as well as participation in the inaugural season of the Tippet Rise Arts Center in Montana. He made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra after winning the Greenfield Competition, and his concerto credits include performances with the Memphis Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Aguascalientes, Greenwich Village Orchestra, and Highland Park Strings.

Beyond performance, Crawford is also an avid recording artist and digital creator. His albums — including Dialogo (Orchid Classics), Corazón: The Music of Latin America and Voice of Rachmaninoff — have attracted critical acclaim and commercial success. Corazón was selected as an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and reached #5 on the Billboard Classical Chart shortly after release, and in 2024 he released his concerto debut album of Dvořák and Tchaikovsky with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and Martin West. His Instagram initiative #The1000DayJourney (under @cellocrawford) showcases his daily practice, performance process and behind-the-scenes creative life; the series has drawn tens of thousands of followers and reflects his belief in transparency and connection in the classical world.

Crawford’s competition credentials are formidable: among his many honors are Grand Prize and First Prize at the 2015 American String Teachers National Solo Competition, the Lynn Harrell Competition (Dallas Symphony), the Hudson Valley Competition and the Kingsville International Competition. He has competed in the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth competitions and also was accepted to the 2012 Verbier Academy in Switzerland. As a chamber-musician he has frequented festivals like the Memphis Chamber Music Society, The Sitka Music Festival, and the Methow Chamber Music festival. Crawford has also held fellowships at Music from Angel Fire (New Mexico), the National Arts Centre’s Zukerman Young Artist Program (Canada), The Fontainebleau School (France) and the Perlman Chamber Music Program.

Of special note is the instrument Crawford plays: a rare circa-200-year-old Homolka cello, smuggled out of Austria by his grandfather, Dr. Robert Popper, who fled the country just prior to Kristallnacht. The maker was often known as the “Prague Stradivari” due to the uncanny replication of the great Italian maker. The cello is paired with a fine French bow by legendary archetier Tourte “L’Aîné” from 1790.

Based in New York City, Crawford blends his roots — born and raised in Louisiana — with a global perspective on music. He is also passionate about fields outside music: reading about physics, running, photography and performing magic tricks feature in his life as diversions that inform his artistry.