Born in Andorra from exiled Catalan parents, Lluís Claret began there his musicals studies, inspired by the personality of his godfather, Pablo Casals. Later the family moved to Barcelona where he studied at the Conservatori del Liceu. Also, during many years, he attended private lessons with Enric Casals, Pablo’s brother who, however not being a cellist himself, has been his principal mentor and musical father. Important relationships with artists such as Radu Aldulescu, György Sebök, Eva Janzer, Maurice Gendron and Bernard Greenhouse have also had a strong influence on Lluís Claret’s personality.

Winning Pablo Casals and Rostropovich competitions launched his career worldwide as a soloist as well as a chamber musician (he is the founder of the Trio de Barcelona, member of the Berlin Trio, and plays in duet with Josep Colom). His high curiosity for contemporary music has brought him to great collaboration with such composers of our time as Pierre Boulez, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Iannis Xenakis, Joan Guinjoan, Salvador Brotons and Agustí Charles, among others. His early and strong love for pedagogy brought him to teach for more than 20 years at the Toulouse Conservatory (France) and to give regularly master classes in Europe, America, and Asia.

Currently, Lluís Claret is teaching at the Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona and is a member of the faculty of the New England Conservatory in Boston. He plays on a cello from Nicolas Lupot (Paris, 1820).