Elias Arizcuren, cellist, conductor and pedagogue, was born in Spain in 1943. He received his first lessons from his father and subsequently studied with Gaspar Cassadó, André Navarra and Sandor Vègh.

For a long time he lived and worked in the Netherlands where he founded the MENDELSSOHN Trio (1968), an ensemble of international reputation. With this Trio, Elias Arizcuren has given countless concerts in Europe, the Middle-East, Asia, Northand South-America, in the course of some twenty years. The Mendelssohn Trio also made many recordings, on which it excelled in the classical, the romantic as well as the contemporary repertoire.

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Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico, a 'full time' ensemble and as such absolutely unique in the world of classical music was founded in 1989 by Elias Arizcuren and supported by Mstislav Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma. Its output could be summarised as 13 CDs (and 2 in preparation) and over 60 first performances of works by today's most notable composers.

Thanks to Elias Arizcuren's tenacity, the Cello Octet was able to offer original works, most of them dedicated to Conjunto Ibérico, by composers including Xenakis, Berio, Nobre, Halffter, Pärt, Boulez, Donatoni, De Pablo, Bussotti, Denisov, Loevendie,

Riley, Kagel, Gubaidulina and Glass. Conjunto Ibérico also plays some 100 beautiful Spanish songs (Turina, De Falla, Nin, Montsalvatge, Granados, Guridi, Albéniz) and compositions by South-Americans (Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Guastavino, Piazzolla, Nobre, Chávez, Revueltas) that have been a pleasant surprise to many an audience for several years.

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Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico has shown enormous diversity over the years: concerts with Teresa Berganza or Bernarda Fink, dance productions with Conny Janssen's Rotterdam Dance Company, concerts with flamenco singer Carmen Linares and premiers of works by reputed composers with Choir. In addition to the concerts in many European countries and at prominent festivals, Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico has also performed in Asia, Israel, South-America, the United States and Canada.

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The world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma said in an interview: "This ensemble is a treasure indeed, a fine example to the world of music. . . Wherever I play: Brazil, Japan, USA, people talk to me about Conjunto Ibérico... Elias Arizcuren is a visionary, who has achieved something absolutely unique with his group."

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For years he was a professor of cello and chamber-music at the Conservatories of Amsterdam and Utrecht. Many of his former students now have an international projection.

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Elias Arizcuren also produced, write and design a book including a video/DVD method on the technique of celloplaying (edited in Spanish, Netherland and French), has published works about the history of the violoncello and is the driving force behind the publication of a collection of works of the repertoire.

Elias Arizcuren is often invited to be a member of the jury in international competitions and gives master-classes in many countries, in addition to his activities as a conductor. 

Elias Arizcuren received a knighthood in the Order of Orange-Nassau from The Dutch Real House. In 2021 he received the Encomienda of Alfonxo X el Sabio, awarded by The Spanish Real House.

In 2008 Elias Arizcurén will put an end to his active concert career. After 21 years of Mendelssohn Trio and 19 years of Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico the time has come for other pursuits: he will, however, give master classes occasionally and appears as a guestconductor.  He now lives in Spain.