Will Schofield studied music at Edinburgh university, where his tutors included Kenneth Leighton and Edward Harper. He first met Steven Isserlis at the inaugural Deal Music Festival and continued to take lessons from him until graduating, when he was awarded scholarships to study with Radu Aldulescu first in Rome and then at the Menuhin Academy in Gstaad.
On returning to the U.K., Will joined the Emperor String Quartet and in 1995 they became the first British winners of the Evian/Bordeaux international competition and enjoyed a busy career over the next 20 years, playing at major concert series throughout Europe and festivals such as Edinburgh, St Magnus, Prague Spring, Kuhmo, Montpelier, Monte Carlo, Mostly Mozart NYC, Bath, Brighton, Cheltenham, Reims, etc. The quartet made several tours in the USA and Canada and for the British Council in Ecuador and Nigeria. As well as making numerous broadcasts and recordings for the BBC, the quartet recorded for Black Box and Bis records receiving regular gramophone recommendations and a Grammy nomination. The quartet enjoyed collaborations with Julian Bream, Michael Collins, Ian Bostridge, Philip Langridge, Ian Fountain and Isabelle Faust amongst others as well as playing on a number of film scores for Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
Will continues to enjoy a varied musical life. He has toured with Peter Gabriel, is a regular on the London recording session scene and is currently Principal Cello with the City of London Sinfonia and Associate Principal Cello with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, as well as being a member of the ASMF Chamber Ensemble.
Will plays on a Jacques Camurat cello made in 1987.