Mathis Rochat is a Franco-Swiss violist acclaimed for his expressive depth, stylistic versatility, and inventive approach to both core and transcribed repertoire. Praised for his “rich and subtle viola sound” and “marvelous poetic imaginative power” by Bieler Tagblatt, he is recognized as “one of the most promising and creative violists of his generation” by Concerti.de.

His recent recording Rachmaninoff Stories was lauded by Klassik Heute for its “generous, gorgeous tone” and “stunning virtuosity,” while BBC Music Magazine highlighted his “warm timbre” and poetic interplay. In his latest concerto release, The Strad praised his “infectiously enthusiastic playing,” noting his “crisp spiccato” and “endlessly inventive phrasing”—hallmarks of a musician who combines refined technique with interpretive daring.

As a soloist, Rochat has performed with ensembles including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Schweiz, and Norddeutsche Philharmonie, as well as the Bishkek, Timișoara, and Brașov Philharmonic Orchestras. He regularly appears at major European festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Tsinandali, Budapest, Reims and Gstaad Festivals.

His discography includes L’alto Parnassien, focused on Impressionist French music, Rachmaninoff Stories, featuring seven new viola transcriptions and classical concertos by J.G. Graun and a transcription of a C.P.E. Bach cello concerto, performed with Camerata Schweiz under Howard Griffiths. His latest album is dedicated to the British viola repertoire with W.Walton, A.Benjamin and H.Howells viola concertos in a collaboration with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conductor Howard Griffiths and violinist Abigél  Králik.

A passionate chamber musician and educator, Rochat holds a professorship at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and is co-founder and Artistic Director of TARA Chamber Concerts in Brussels. He has also taught at leading international masterclasses, including the Festival Academy Budapest.

Next season, alongside his solo engagements, he will tour the United States with the Jerusalem Quartet, further cementing his reputation as one of today’s most compelling and versatile violists.

For over 90 years, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), the only professional symphony orchestra in Wales, has played an integral part in the cultural landscape of the country, occupying a distinctive role as both a broadcast and national orchestra, and serving as an ambassador of Welsh culture, regularly performing music created in Wales and championing Welsh composers and artists.
Part of BBC Cymru Wales and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, BBC NOW performs a busy schedule of live concerts and broadcasts, working with acclaimed conductors and soloists from across the world, including their Principal Conductor, the award-winning Ryan Bancroft.
The orchestra is committed to working in partnership with community groups and charities and takes music out of the concert hall and into settings such as schools and hospitals to enable others to experience and be empowered by music. It undertakes workshops, concerts and side-by-side performances to inspire and encourage the next generation of performers, composers and arts leaders, and welcomes thousands of young people and community members annually through its outreach and education projects.
BBC NOW performs annually at the BBC Proms and biennially at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and its concerts can be heard regularly across the BBC: on Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. On screen, music performed by BBC NOW can be heard widely across the BBC and other global channels, including the soundtrack and theme tune for Doctor Who, Planet Earth III, Prehistoric Planet, The Pact and Children in Need.
Based at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay, BBC NOW utilises a state-of-the-art recording studio with a camera system for livestreams and TV broadcasts to bring BBC NOW’s music to a broader audience across Wales and the world.