Chris Votek

Chris Votek is an acclaimed cellist and composer whose fluency in musical languages from North Indian Classical, Arabic, Electronica, Jazz, Ambient, Western Classical, to Pop makes him highly sought after as a performer, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, and sound engineer. A disciple of the legendary Indian violinist Dr. N Rajam, Votek is one of the few cellists in the world performing the rare Gayaki-Ang style, where vocal ragas Hindustani Raga is reproduced on a string instrument. Recent highlights include arranging music for Rhythm Spirits, a collaboration between Ustad Zakir Hussain, master Indian violinist Kala Ramnath, and the San Francisco Symphony. His compositions have been performed at REDCAT, the Hammer Museum, Clockshop, and the San Francisco Symphony’s experimental, late-night concert series, SF Soundbox. Votek has toured top venues through 4 continents with acclaimed songwriter Julia Holter and made three tours of the Middle East as the princapal cellist of Nabil Azzam’s Arabic orchestra MESTO. He recently performed with the Silk Road Ensemble and Persian singer Mamak Khadem at the Smithsonian Institution, and toured the US with Iranian Icon Homayoun Shajarian. Votek can be heard on the 2021 Grammy Nominated album Cinema by The Marias, and on Khadem’s newest album, Remembrance, performing with Chris Martin of Coldplay, an album on which Votek also served as co-producer and arranger.