ARTISTS
> Soloist Academy > 19-22 Feb.

Benedict Kloeckner is one of the foremost cellists of his generation. A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, he was awarded the OPUS Klassik Prize in 2021.

He performs as soloist with prestigious orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London), Deutsche Radiophilharmonie, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Kremerata Baltica, MDR Symphony Orchestra, and Munich Chamber Orchestra.

He has appeared in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Musikverein (Vienna), Tonhalle (Zurich), and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam).

A regular guest at international festivals, Benedict has shared the stage with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter. For more than ten years he has served as Artistic Director of the Koblenz International Music Festival (IMUKO), which he founded. He opens the 2024–2025 season with Haydn’s Cello Concerto under the direction of Raphaël Merlin and will perform with Augustin Dumay, Lawrence Power, and Leon Botstein.

A new recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Cristian Măcelaru will be released in 2026. In 2023, he released a Sony recording of the Brahms Sonatas with Yu Kosuge. His discography also includes the complete Bach Suites, which he has performed at the Berlin Philharmonie and Alte Oper Frankfurt. His recordings have been widely acclaimed by critics, earning awards such as the OPUS Klassik Prize and the Supersonic Award.

Benedict Kloeckner studied at the University of Music Karlsruhe with Martin Ostertag and at the Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman. In September 2025, he will join the faculty of the École Normale de Musique de Paris as Professor.