BENEDICT KLOECKNER
CELLO

“I really loved his playing!” – Simon Rattle

"Remarkable, really remarkable, perfect playing! Absolute control of technique, intonation and color» – Daniel Barenboim

"Very moving performance.“ – Christoph Eschenbach

Benedict Kloeckner, born in 1989, is one of the outstanding artists of his generation. He has won numerous competitions and awards, most recently the OPUS Klassik 2021.

He performs worldwide as a soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the MDR-Sinfonieorchester, the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie, the Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Oslo, and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. He works with renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Cristian Măcelaru, Ingo Metzmacher, Michael Sanderling, Clemens Schuldt, Heinrich Schiff, and Sir Simon Rattle.

He has appeared in prestigious concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall New York, Kennedy Center Washington, Symphony Hall Chicago, Arts Center Seoul, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Musikverein Vienna, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Tonhalle Zurich, Gasteig in Munich, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Rudolfinum Prague, Athenaeum Bucharest, and the Wigmore Hall London.

In the 2022/2023 season, he performed all six Bach Suites at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Alte Oper Frankfurt.

In the 2023/2024 season, he will debut at the Philharmonie Paris and the Kölner Philharmonie, and return to the Kennedy Center Washington, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, and Philharmonie Berlin multiple times. He will also tour Europe with the Romanian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Cristian Măcelaru and debut with the Armenian National Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Benedict Kloeckner is a welcome guest at festivals worldwide. His chamber music partners have included Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Yuri Bashmet, Christoph Eschenbach, Vilde Frang, Gidon Kremer, Anne-Sophie Mutter, and Sir András Schiff.

Benedict Kloeckner regularly collaborates with leading contemporary composers. In 2018, he premiered Wolfgang Rihm's Double Concerto for Two Cellos and Strings. At the Seoul Arts Center, he premiered Eun Hwa Cho's Cello Concerto with the Korean Chamber Orchestra under Christoph Poppen. He also gave the Austrian premiere of Dai Fujikura's Cello Concerto with the Mozarteum Orchestra under Peter Tilling.

His CD recordings have been highly praised by the international press, earning prizes such as the OPUS Klassik award and the Supersonic Award. These recordings include collaborations with artists such as Gidon Kremer, conductors Heinrich Schiff and Michael Sanderling, pianists Danae Dörken, Anna Fedorova, Yu Kosuge, Mario Häring, Ragna Schirmer, and José Gallardo, as well as violinists Kirill Troussov and Ragnhild Hemsing, and composer Wolfgang Rihm.

In 2023, his recording of the Brahms Sonatas with Yu Kosuge was released by Sony. In September 2024, an album featuring Dvořák's Cello Concerto and other works, recorded with Cristian Măcelaru, the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and Danae Dörken, was released by Berlin Classics. In 2025, a recording including the Elgar Cello Concerto, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru, will be released.

Since 2014, Benedict Klöckner has been the founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO).

Benedict Kloeckner received his artistic education from Martin Ostertag at the Karlsruhe University of Music and from Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman at the Kronberg Academy, supported by the Angela Winkler Scholarship. He received invaluable guidance from Gidon Kremer, Steven Isserlis, Michael Sanderling, and Sir András Schiff.

He teaches masterclasses around the world and has taught at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe.

Benedict Kloeckner plays the “Ex Maurice Gendron” cello by Francesco Ruggeri (1680), on generous loan.