Benedict Kloeckner

"The sensitive and gracefully built violoncellist amazed not only by neat intonation but also by fabulous effortlessness and suppleness." (Neue Zuercher Zeitung, November 05th, 2008)

Benedict Kloeckner born in 1989 is winner of the European Broadcasting Union's New Talent Award 2010.

He also won the federal contest of “Jugend musiziert” several times and received special awards of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, the Irino Foundation Tokio and the National Council of Pharmacists. In Berlin he was awardee of the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann and has got the prize for the best interpretation of EFEU a work by Thomas Demenga as well as the prize of the Young Listeners Jury. As youngest participant he won the first price at the International Cello Competition of the Animato Foundation in Zurich in 2008. He was also the youngest winner at the Swedish International Duo Competition (2008) and the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach (Austria 2006).  

In Baden-Baden when Pierre Boulez received the Deutsch-Französische Kulturpreis, Benedict Kloeckner was awarded with the Europäischer Förderpreis for young artists by Pro Europa - European Foundation of Culture. He already received this prize from the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2005.

Benedict Kloeckner gave concerts as a soloist with the Staatskapelle Halle, the German Philharmonic Orchestra Rhineland-Palatinate, the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, the Bochumer Sinfoniker, the Poznan Philharmonic and the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pavel Balev, Michael Sanderling, Howard Griffiths and Karl-Heinz Steffens. Deutschlandradio, ORF (Austrian Broadcasting), NDR (North German Broadcasting), SR (Saarland Broadcasting) and SWR (Southwest Broadcasting) have carried out radio productions with Benedict Kloeckner. 

In 2009/2010 Benedict Kloeckner made his debut at Konzerthaus Berlin with Dvorak’s concerto for violoncello. Furthermore, he made his debut as a soloist at Schlossfestspiele Ludwigsburg, Festspiele Schwetzingen, Tonhalle Zurich, Mozarteum Salzburg, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and Reykjavik Festival for Chamber Music.

Highlights of the season 2010/2011 will be, among others, concerts with Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken, Kammerorchester Berlin, at Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, at Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and at the Festival de Pollenca (Mallorca). He will play chamber music with Gidon Kremer, Ana Chumachenko, Yuri Bashmet, Tatjana Grindenko and András Schiff.

Benedict Kloeckner is scholarship holder of Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg – music foundation, who provides him with an Italian cello since 2006. As winner of the 17th Instrumental Contest of Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben. This foundation granted him a cello by Francesco Ruggieri (1670). Kloeckner is also scholarship holder of Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes and Ritterstiftung. The Kronberg Academy has placed a gold mounted bow by H.C. Schmidt from the Gidon Kremer Instrument Trust at his disposal.

Benedict Kloeckner studied with Prof. Martin Ostertag at Musikhochschule Karlsruhe until 2003. Since 2009, he has been studying at Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson.

2011-2012 Please do not use older versions of this biography. For any modifications, please contact  a r t e s y s t e m.