Alban Gerhardt
Encyclopedia
Alban Gerhardt is a German
cellist
. He has performed as a soloist with many internationally known orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
, Cleveland Orchestra
, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
.
, where his father was a violin
ist in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He took up both the piano
and the cello at the age of eight.
wrote "Once again, the cellist proved himself an artist of great conviction." A December 9, 1994, review in Der Tagesspiegel
lauded his playing, saying it was full of "an elegance[;...]spirit; a highly civilized, cultured, and fine sound; extraordinary sensitivity; and an incredible weightless vividness." A music critic in the New York Times wrote on February 7, 1996: "Alban Gerhardt. . . is an intensely serious artist. . . . His cello playing is bold, technically resourceful and rhythmically incisive." In addition, The Independent
said of one of his performances: "Gerhardt is a slight man but his sound is big, his musical intelligence without question as he sensitively coaxed the music to sing."
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. He has performed as a soloist with many internationally known orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
, Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
.
Early life
Gerhardt was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where his father was a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He took up both the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and the cello at the age of eight.
Musical career
Gerhardt's first public performance came on February 22, 1987, when he played Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 2 in D as part of a chamber orchestra for the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1994 he won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.Critical reception
Gerhardt's work has generally been well received by critics worldwide. On March 30, 2004, a writer in the Berliner MorgenpostBerliner Morgenpost
Berliner Morgenpost is a German newspaper, based and mainly read in Berlin, where it is the second most read daily newspaper. Founded in 1898 by Leopold Ullstein, it was taken over by Axel Springer AG in 1959. The paper had a circulation of 145,556 issues in 2009, with an estimated 322,000 readers...
wrote "Once again, the cellist proved himself an artist of great conviction." A December 9, 1994, review in Der Tagesspiegel
Der Tagesspiegel
Der Tagesspiegel is a classical liberal German daily newspaper...
lauded his playing, saying it was full of "an elegance[;...]spirit; a highly civilized, cultured, and fine sound; extraordinary sensitivity; and an incredible weightless vividness." A music critic in the New York Times wrote on February 7, 1996: "Alban Gerhardt. . . is an intensely serious artist. . . . His cello playing is bold, technically resourceful and rhythmically incisive." In addition, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said of one of his performances: "Gerhardt is a slight man but his sound is big, his musical intelligence without question as he sensitively coaxed the music to sing."