German cellist Benedict Kloeckner is one of the outstanding soloists and chamber artists of his generation, alongside his role as founder of the International Music Festival Koblenz.
Artist Playbook caught up with the OPUS KLASSIK winner to explore the ideas and practices behind his journey.
Do you remember when you first fell in love with the cello?
I remember it very clearly. My older brother was playing Mendelssohn’s First Piano Trio, and as a little boy, I would sit next to the pianist and turn the pages. When I heard that cello melody emerge at the very beginning, that was the moment I fell in love with the cello and its incredibly warm and noble sound.
You’re a soloist, chamber musician, and creative entrepreneur. What has moving between different musical worlds taught you?
Each of these worlds asks you to listen in a different way. As a soloist, you develop a strong personal voice, while chamber music teaches you to react, communicate, and find an interpretation together. Creating a festival has also taught me to see music from the perspective of the audience. Ultimately, music is about communication and dialogue.
How does playing a 17th-century instrument shape the way you work?
The 1680 Ruggieri has an extraordinary richness of color and a personality of its own. You cannot simply impose your ideas on it. You have to listen to what it gives you and discover its full potential, its many different sounds and colors. That dialogue continues to evolve even after many years together.
What defines the musical world you’ve created with IMUKO?
It is about bringing extraordinary musicians together and allowing something spontaneous and genuine to happen. I love combining great masterpieces with discoveries and creating encounters between artists who inspire one another, then bringing the audience as close as possible to that creative energy.
What advice would you give a younger version of yourself?
Stay curious, keep developing, and don’t measure success too much by what other people are doing.
Build your own artistic identity, take risks, and above all, never lose sight of why you started making music in the first place: the love of music itself.
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