Light-emitting device, comprising a wavelength converting member with a luminescent medium for wavelength conversion of blue light and/or ultraviolet light into red light and/or yellow and/or green light, and a light source emitting blue light and/or ultraviolet light arranged to pump the luminescent medium, said luminescent medium including a main phase of a solid state host material which is doped with Ce3-ions and comprises ions of a further rare-earth material Ln, wherein the host material is selected such that the emission energy of the 5d-4f emission on Ce3+-ions is energetically higher than the absorption energy into an upper 4fn state of the further rare-earth material Ln, and wherein the light emission of wavelength converted light is caused by an intra-atomic 4fn-4fn transition within the ions of the further rare-earth material.