Alban Gerhardt

Born to a musical family, Gerhardt's mother sang coloratura soprano, and his father, Axel Gerhardt, was a second violinist of the Berlin Philharmonic for over 40 years. His brother Darius is a guitarist.{{cite news | url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/pop/berliner-musiker-meine-saite-deine-saite/1605578.html | title=Meine Saite, deine Saite | work=Tagesspiegel | author=Daniel Wixforth | date=2009-09-25 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}

Gerhardt took up both the piano and cello at age eight, and studied with Marion Vetter and Götz Teutsch of the Berlin Philharmonic, and eventually began working under Markus Nyikos. He had also been a student of Boris Pergamenschikow and Frans Helmerson.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/arts/music/what-is-it-about-germans-and-their-cellos.html | title=What Is It About Germans and Their Cellos? | work=New York Times | author=Anne Midgette | date=2005-08-07 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}

Gerhardt's debut came in February 1987, when he performed the Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 at the Philharmonie Berlin. He won top prizes in several competitions including the 1990 Deutsche Musikwettbewerb in Bonn and the ARD International Music Competition in Munich that same year. In 1993, he won the International Leonard Rose Cello Competition and in 1994, the Young Concert Artists Audition in New York.{{Cite news|title = LEONARD ROSE CELLO COMPETITION|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/07/26/leonard-rose-cello-competition/aba4159f-26a5-4b00-bc3a-9ef2e6618164/|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 1993-07-26|access-date = 2015-10-27|issn = 0190-8286|language = en|first = Mark|last = Carrington}} His international career was launched in 1991 when he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov. Gerhardt was a member of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme from 1999 to 2001.

Gerhardt regularly appears with many of the world's leading orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Munich Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de France.{{cite web |title=ICS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - CONVERSATION WITH ALBAN GERHARDT|url= https://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/gerhardt/gerhardt.htm|website= International Cello Society}}{{cite web |title= Alban Gerhardt - Soloist|url= https://www.asianyouthorchestra.com/albangerhardt |website= Asian Youth Orchestra}} In the US, he has appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra among others.{{cite web |title= Cellist Alban Gerhardt Performs Schumann’s Cello Concerto|url= https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/press-room/press-releases/cellist-alban-gerhardt-performs-schumanns-cello-concerto/ |website= Minnesota Orchestra}}{{cite web |title= Alban Gerhardt|url= https://nyphil.org/about-us/artists/alban-gerhardt|website= New York Philharmonic}}

At the 2009 BBC Proms, Gerhardt performed the world premiere of Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto, which Chin composed for him.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/14/bbcsso-volkov-unsuk-chin-proms | title=BBCSSO/Volkov - Royal Albert Hall, London (review of Prom 38) | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2009-08-14 | accessdate=2016-06-12}} He subsequently recorded the concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Myung-Whun Chung for Deutsche Grammophon.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/13/unsuk-chin-piano-concerto-cello-concerto-su-review | title=Unsuk Chin: Piano Concerto; Cello Concerto; Šu review – reimagining the concerto form | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2014-08-13 | accessdate=2016-06-12}} He has also collaborated with other composers such as Thomas Larcher,{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/mar/29/gerhardt-larcher-review | title=Gerhardt/Larcher – review | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2012-03-29 | accessdate=2016-06-12}} Brett Dean,{{Cite news |title=Alban Gerhardt and friends review – music-making at its most invigorating |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/23/alban-gerhardt-and-friends-review-baiba-skride-gergana-gergova | work=The Guardian | author=Guy Dammann | date=2015-06-23 | accessdate=2015-10-27}} Jörg Widmann, Osvaldo Golijov,{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/arts/music/28wort.html | title=Texas Ensemble Plants Flag in New York | work=The New York Times | author=Anthony Tommasini | date=2008-01-28}} Mathias Hinke and Matthias Pintscher.

Gerhardt has won three ECHO Klassik Awards (1998, 2003 & 2009{{Cite news|title = Die Gewinner des Klassik Echo 2009|url = https://www.welt.de/kultur/Echo-Klassik/article4696534/Die-Gewinner-des-Klassik-Echo-2009.html|newspaper = Welt Online|date = 2009-10-01|access-date = 2015-10-27}}) as well as ICMA{{Cite web|title = Winners 2015 - ICMA|url = http://www.icma-info.com/winners-2015/|website = ICMA|accessdate = 2015-10-27|language = fr}} and MIDEM{{Cite web|title = Radio Swiss Classic - Musiker|url = http://www.radioswissclassic.ch/de/musiker/kuenstler/47380423202d53b538fe49ab5ea7d07579fc9/biography|website = www.radioswissclassic.ch|accessdate = 2015-10-27|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130022/http://www.radioswissclassic.ch/de/musiker/kuenstler/47380423202d53b538fe49ab5ea7d07579fc9/biography|archive-date = 2016-03-04|url-status = dead}} Classic awards. His DG recording of Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto won the BBC Music Magazine Award in 2015{{Cite web|title = Winners of BBC Music Magazine Awards 2015 announced {{!}} Classical-Music.com|url = http://www.classical-music.com/news/winners-bbc-music-magazine-awards-2015-announced|work=Classical-Music.com (BBC Music Magazine) |accessdate = 2015-10-27}} and was nominated for a Gramophone Award in 2015.{{Cite web|title = Awards - Gramophone Awards 2015: Finalists - Presto Classical|url = http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/awards/1343/Gramophone-Awards-2015-Finalists|website = www.prestoclassical.co.uk|accessdate = 2015-10-27}} He has made several commercial records for Hyperion.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jan/26/classicalmusicandopera.shopping1 | title=Schumann; Volkmann; Gernsheim; Dietrich: Cello Concertos, Gerhardt/ Berlin Radio SO/ Lintu | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2007-01-25 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/14/classicalmusicandopera.shopping2 | title=Reger: Cello Sonatas; Suites, Gerhardt/ Becker | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2008-03-13 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/12/classicalmusicandopera1 | title=Classical CD releases | work=The Observer | author=Anthony Holden and Stephen Pritchard | date=2008-10-12 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/28/honegger-gerhardt-rutherford-bbcnow | title=Honegger: Horace Victorieux: Gerhardt/Rutherford, etc | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2008-11-28 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/09/alban-gerhardt-casals-encores-review | title=Alban Gerhardt: Casals Encores – review | work=The Guardian | author=Tim Ashley | date=2011-06-09 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/27/britten-cello-alban-gerhardt-review | title=Britten: Cello Symphony, Cello Sonata & Cello Suites – review | work=The Observer | author=Fiona Maddocks|authorlink=Fiona Maddocks | date=2013-01-26 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/apr/11/strauss-don-quixote-till-review | title=Strauss: Don Quixote; Till Eulenspiegel – review | work=The Guardian | author=Tim Ashley | date=2013-04-11 | accessdate=2016-06-12}} He has also recorded for Chandos Records.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jul/11/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures3 | title=Berkeley, Lennox: Symphony No 4; Michael Berkeley: Cello Concerto; Garden of Earthly Delights: Gerhardt/ BBC NOW/ Hickox | work=The Guardian | author=Edward Greenfield | date=2003-07-11 | accessdate=2016-06-12}}

Gerhardt plays a Matteo Goffriller cello, made in 1710. In addition to his concert performances, Gerhardt has done various projects that have involved performance outside of traditional concert halls, such as in schools, hospitals and young offender institutions.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/8447587/Alban-Gerhardt-the-cellist-takes-a-bow-with-babies.html | title=Alban Gerhardt: the cellist takes a bow with babies | work=Telegraph | author=Ivan Hewett | date=2011-04-13 | accessdate=2015-10-27}} In 2012, he also began collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, involving live performances on the main commuter routes in Germany.{{Cite web|title = Alban Gerhardt: Bringing Bach to the people|url = http://www.classicfm.com/artists/alban-gerhardt/news/alban-gerhardt-bringing-bach-people/#QCB00OkUuYtZwMAc.97|website = Classic FM|accessdate = 2015-10-27}}

Gerhardt has been married twice. His marriage to his first wife, Katalina, produced a son. His second wife is the violinist Gergana Gergova, and the couple have a son.

{{reflist}}

• [http://albangerhardt.com/ Official website of Alban Gerhardt]
• [http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/a.asp?a=A670 Hyperion Records page on Alban Gerhardt]
• [http://www.cello.org/newsletter/articles/gerhardt/gerhardt.htm Tim Janof, 'Conversation with Alban Gerhardt', Internet Cello Society, 26 April 2003]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/06/facing-the-music-cellist-alban-gerhardt 'Facing the music: Alban Gerhardt'. The Guardian, 6 April 2015]

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Category:1969 births

Category:German classical cellists

Category:Living people

Category:BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists

Category:Oehms Classics artists