Kian Soltani is currently on tour with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and Cristian Măcelaru. Critics have highlighted the cellist's mastery, and he is still performing the final two concerts of the tour with the Cologne Philharmonic today and tomorrow.
Regarding his concert at the Cologne Philharmonic, Juan Carlos Tellechea writes the following:
'With his Stradivarius London ex Boccherini (1694), Soltani brings "lightness" to Tchaikovsky's Slavic-influenced Romanticism. It is a free, agile, and fluid touch characterized by precision and nuanced timbres. The outstanding soloist emphasizes the melodic and poetic character of the cello, in keeping with Tchaikovsky's style' [...] Kian Soltani plays it with great technical finesse and sonic beauty. He often emphasizes the lyrical aspects and combines them with profound emotional intensity. [...] Soltani's interpretation is excellent: he masterfully conveys the style of the piece and captures the elegance and grace of the music with a precise touch. He doesn't try to overwhelm the work with an overly energetic tone, but neither is he particularly deferential, attentive to the mood changes and the brilliant colors of Tchaikovsky's captivating score'.
Soltani is enjoying a high point in his career, and this 2025/26 season he has performed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg; returned to the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France with Daniel Harding; and made debuts with the Orchestre National de France, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He is also artist-in-residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In the chamber music arena, he will tour Europe in a trio with Renaud Capuçon and Mao Fujita, and in a duo with Benjamin Grosvenor, as well as joining Andreas Ottensamer and Alessio Bax for concerts in the United Sta
