Lucia Swarts began studying the cello at the age of seven. She studied with Anner Bijlsma and Lidewij Scheifes at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague , where she acquired her solo degree in 1985.
In the year of her final exam , she gave her debut recital in the Kleine Zaal at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw , as a prizewinner in the `New Vintage`series for talented young musicians.
Apart from her appearances as a soloist , she has devoted considerable time and effort to playing music from every period of musical history in a wide range of chamber music settings, using instruments appropriate to the period .As well as the modern cello, she also plays piano, the viola da Spalla, baroque cello, cello piccolo and basse de Violon.
From 1983 on she played in the Schoenberg Ensemble (later Asko/Schoenberg) and worked with composers as György Ligety, Sofia Gubaidulina , György Kurtag, Reinbert de Leeuw, Oliver Knussen, John Adams, Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, Martijn Padding and Mayke Nas Composer Mayke Nas (Componist des vaderlands 2016-2018) wrote a piece for her. In June 1996 Lucia was one of the solo players in the Asko/Schoenberg Ensemble in the Opera `A King Riding ` by Klaas de Vries.
Since 1983 , Lucia has been principal cellist in the baroque orchestra of the Netherlands Bach society and she also plays in the Residentie Bach Ensemble.
She worked with baroque specialists as Gustav Leonhardt, Frans Brüggen, Sigiswald Kuijken, René Jacobs, Peter Dijkstra, Jos van Veldhoven , Jos Vermunt and Ton Koopman.
While early music and contemporary music has a special place in her affection and where she was performing in many CD`s she also performs romantic music.In 1997 she recorded a CD with Leo van Doeselaar (piano ) with music of Saint -Saëns, Busoni, Moscheles and Gounod. CD .
She is always looking for new repertoire ( for herself and also for her students) ,which needs to become out of the shadow.
Lucia issued 7 solo CDs.
Six Cello Sonatas by Vivaldi (CC72051), Cello Sonatas by Boccherini (CC 72065), Italian Cello Concertos (CC 72021), Bach after Bach .Vol. 1(with Leo van Doeselaar (CC72066) , Italian Concertos & Sonatas (CC 72516).The Italian Origins (seven mouintain records) and Cello Solo Suites by J.S.Bach ( CC 72784) She is a professor in `modern ` and historical cello at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague since 1988 , where she works with Elena Malinova. Elena is also already for many years the correpetitor of her cellostudents.
Lucia is also visiting professor at the Conservatoire Superior de Salamanca and Sevilla (Spain).