The Cello Suites Petrit Çeku

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Suite BWV 1007
• 1 Suite BWV 1007: I. Prelude 02:37
• 2 Suite BWV 1007: II. Allemande 04:46
• 3 Suite BWV 1007: III. Courante 02:41
• 4 Suite BWV 1007: IV. Sarabande 02:55
• 5 Suite BWV 1007: V. Menuet I/II 03:15
• 6 Suite BWV 1007: VI. Gigue 01:47
• Suite BWV 1008
• 7 Suite BWV 1008: I. Prelude 03:33
• 8 Suite BWV 1008: II. Allemande 03:28
• 9 Suite BWV 1008: III. Courante 02:07
• 10 Suite BWV 1008: IV. Sarabande 04:03
• 11 Suite BWV 1008: V. Menuet I/II 02:52
• 12 Suite BWV 1008: VI. Gigue 02:32
• Suite BWV 1009
• 13 Suite BWV 1009: I. Prelude 03:59
• 14 Suite BWV 1009: II. Allemande 04:04
• 15 Suite BWV 1009: III. Courante 03:18
• 16 Suite BWV 1009: IV. Sarabande 03:59
• 17 Suite BWV 1009: V. Bourree I/II 03:48
• 18 Suite BWV 1009: VI. Gigue 03:13
• Suite BWV 1010
• 19 Suite BWV 1010: I. Prelude 03:55
• 20 Suite BWV 1010: II. Allemande 04:30
• 21 Suite BWV 1010: III. Courante 03:28
• 22 Suite BWV 1010: IV. Sarabande 04:14
• 23 Suite BWV 1010: V. Bourree I/II 04:53
• 24 Suite BWV 1010: VI. Gigue 02:52
• Suite BWV 1011
• 25 Suite BWV 1011: I. Prelude 05:27
• 26 Suite BWV 1011: II. Allemande 05:19
• 27 Suite BWV 1011: III. Courante 02:14
• 28 Suite BWV 1011: IV. Sarabande 03:00
• 29 Suite BWV 1011: V. Gavotte I/II 04:29
• 30 Suite BWV 1011: VI. Gigue 02:16
• Suite BWV 1012
• 31 Suite BWV 1012: I. Prelude 04:53
• 32 Suite BWV 1012: II. Allemande 06:58
• 33 Suite BWV 1012: III. Courante 03:56
• 34 Suite BWV 1012: IV. Sarabande 04:08
• 35 Suite BWV 1012: V. Gavotte I/II 04:00
• 36 Suite BWV 1012: VI. Gigue 03:56
• Total Runtime 02:13:25

Info for The Cello Suites

First prizewinner of the prestigious Parkening International Guitar Competition, Petrit Çeku is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation and his exquisite sensibility and expressiveness have attracted and engaged audiences worldwide. Bach cello suites have become a monument and are often revisited by cellists and guitarist, but in this recording, Çeku gives an amazing rendition of these works in the extraordinary arrangement of cellist Valter Despalj.

Recorded in the 13th Century Spanish church of San Francisco, in Ávila, Spain, Petrit Çeku’s vision of Bach’s suites is very personal, seductive, nuanced yet passionate: a wonderful revelation.

Petrit Ceku, guitar

Petrit Çeku
Petrit’s sensitivity and expressiveness have captivated audiences worldwide. He has performed recitals across the globe and appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Czech Chamber Philharmonic, Daejeon Philharmonic, State Hermitage Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Pannon Philharmonic, and Zagreb Philharmonic. A frequent collaborator with the Zagreb Soloists, he is also a founding member of the Guitar Trio Elogio and Croatian Guitar Quartet.

Hailed by the Calgary Herald as “an effortless player, with a strong, projecting sound,” Çeku has won numerous international guitar competitions, securing prestigious first prizes at the Parkening (Malibu, USA), Schadt (Allentown, USA), Biasini (Bologna, Italy), and Pittaluga (Alessandria, Italy) competitions. In 2018, he was the only classical musician featured in the Night of the Proms tour with the Antwerp Philharmonic, conducted by Alexandra Arrieche, sharing the stage with pop icons Bryan Ferry, Milow, Seal, and Suzanne Vega.

Renowned for his dedication to musical collaboration, Çeku has performed chamber music with esteemed artists, including violinists Marc Bouchkov, Guy Braunstein, Boris Brovtsyn, Susanna Yoko Henkel, Linus Roth, and Benjamin Schmid; violists Lise Berthaud, Sara Ferrández, Sindy Mohamed, and Timothy Ridout; cellists Stjepan Hauser, Monika Leskovar, Giovanni Sollima, Kian Soltani, and Luka Šulić; as well as pianists Angela Hewitt, Aljoša Jurinić, and Markus Schirmer. In addition, he has collaborated with renowned string ensembles such as the Artis-Quartet, Minetti Quartet, Sebastian Quartet, Valo Quartet and Zagreb Quartet.

Born in Prizren, Kosovo, Çeku is based in Zagreb, Croatia. He studied at the Academy of Music in Zagreb under Darko Petrinjak before continuing at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA, where he trained with Manuel Barrueco. Since 2019, he has been a faculty member at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria.

His recordings have been released by BuntArt, Cantus, Croatia Records, Eudora Records, and Naxos. His album The Cello Suites, featuring Bach’s complete Cello Suites, was nominated for an ICMA Award. The recording process was documented in Sarabande, a film directed by award-winning filmmaker Kaltrina Krasniqi. Expanding their collaboration, Çeku later composed the original score for Krasniqi’s feature film Vera Dreams of the Sea, which premiered at the 78th Venice Film Festival.

Petrit Çeku is a D’Addario artist and performs on a Ross Gutmeier guitar.

Booklet for The Cello Suites