Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Alban Gerhardt (born 1969) 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.
Early life
Gerhardt was born in Berlin, where his father was a violinist in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He took up both the piano 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 Morgenpost 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."