Les 12 Violoncellistes des Berliner Philharmoniker
The 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker are among the leading chamber music ensembles on the international concert scene. The idea for their formation came about in 1972 during a radio production of Julius Klengel’s Hymnus for twelve cellos with members of the Philharmoniker’s cello section. Thanks to the tonal and virtuoso qualities of the ensemble, which performs a particularly wide-ranging programme, it has won over concert audiences worldwide.
From classical and jazz to tango and the avant-garde, the rich, orchestral sound of the twelve cellos and the programme, which ranges from the serious to the humorous, never fails to fascinate. Contemporary composers who have written works especially for the “12” include Boris Blacher, Sebastian Currier, Brett Dean, Tan Dun, Peter Eötvös, Jean Françaix, Sofia Gubaidulina, Christian Jost, Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann, Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Rihm, Kaija Saariaho, Frangis Ali-Sade, Pēteris Vasks, Iannis Xenakis and Udo Zimmermann. As ambassadors for Berlin, they have accompanied the German Federal President on state visits, and have also been guests at the Japanese Imperial Palace on several occasions. The CDs of the 12 Cellists have received numerous awards, including the Echo Klassik in 2001, 2005 and 2017.
