SIMON MORRIS BA Hons (Dunelm), ARCM,  Hon., ARAM

Simon Morris is a solo cellist and expert appraiser of stringed instruments.  

He was joint owner and director of the London dealers, J & A Beare, from 1998 until 2021.

After his studies at Durham University, the Royal College of Music and lessons with Rostropovich Simon began his career as a cellist and performed for ten years with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under maestro Sir Neville Marriner.  During this time he also performed and recorded as a soloist and chamber musician.  More recently he has served on the board of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields as a trustee.

In 2008 Simon was invited by Her Majesty the Queen to represent J & A Beare at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the firm’s receipt of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise - the only fine art business to ever receive the award.

As a commentator on the violin market, he has appeared on BBC TV, Radio 4, Radio 3, CNBC and Classic FM and contributed to the Financial Times, the Independent and the New York Times. He has written articles for the Strad Magazine and for publications such as the four-volume Antonius Stradivarius.  He is currently working as joint director of the six volume publication ‘The Complete Works of Antonio Stradivari’.