The 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker have long been a prominent institution in international music. In 1972, a radio production of Julius Klengel’s ‘Hymnus’ for twelve cellos with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker provided the impetus for the founding of a solo ensemble of this kind. Their exceptional tonal and virtuosic qualities soon took concert audiences by storm worldwide, and now the 12 Cellists enjoy a remarkable international following.

Whether they are playing the classics, jazz, tango or avant-garde, listeners are invariably fascinated by the unique and multifaceted mixture of timbres that these twelve cellos can produce. The 12 Cellists know how to captivate their listeners with their combination of seriousness and humour, of depth and lightness, which appeals to audiences of all ages.

Among the contemporary composers who have written works specially for the “12” are Boris Blacher, Sebastian Currier, Brett Dean, Tan Dun, Péter Eötvös, Jean Françaix, Sofia Gubaidulina, Christian Jost, Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann, Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Rihm, Kaija Saariaho, Frangis Ali-Sade, Pēteris Vasks, Iannis Xenakis und Udo Zimmermann. They have accompanied the German president on state visits as ambassadors of Berlin and appeared on several occasions at the Japanese Imperial Palace. Their CDs regularly make the charts and in 2001, 2005, and 2017 they were awarded the ‘Echo Klassik’ prize.

Die 12 Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker:

Bruno Delepelaire 
Ludwig Quandt 
Dietmar Schwalke 
Nikolaus Römisch 
David Riniker 
Martin Menking 
Christoph Igelbrink 
Stephan Koncz 
Solène Kermarrec 
Rachel Helleur-Simcock 
Olaf Maninger 
Martin Löhr 
Uladzimir Sinkevich 
Knut Weber

SEASON 2024/2025