Sebastian Klinger

Born in Munich and raised in Spain, Sebastian Klinger received his first cello lessons at the age of six. He later studied with Heinrich Schiff in Salzburg and Vienna, as well as with Boris Pergamenschikow in Berlin.

After winning numerous national and international prizes at various competitions and foundations, he was awarded first prize at the German Music Competition in Berlin in 2001. This led to debuts at major German festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Rheingau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Ludwigsburg, as well as multiple recital performances at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. Following an initiative by the Kölner Philharmonie, he was invited to perform as part of the Rising Stars Series of the European Concert Hall Organization, which took him to some of the world’s most renowned concert halls, including Carnegie Hall New York, Wigmore Hall London, Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, Konserthus Stockholm, Konzerthaus Vienna, and Concert Hall Athens, among others.

As a soloist, Sebastian Klinger has performed worldwide with orchestras such as the Bavarian
Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Rome, Gulbenkian Orchestra Lisbon, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Munich and Hamburg Symphony Orchestras, RAI National Symphony Orchestra Turin, Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle Bonn, Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Weimar, and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. He has collaborated with esteemed conductors such as Mariss Jansons, Antoni Wit, Mario Venzago, Christoph Poppen, Joseph Bastian, Daniel Cohen, Simon Gaudenz, Pedro Halffter, Antony Hermus, Oksana Lyniv, Markus Poschner, Michael Sanderling, Shiyeon Sung, Constantin Trinks, Joshua Weilerstein, and Yip Wing-sie.

Sebastian Klinger is also an avid chamber musician, having performed with esteemed Artists including **Valéry Afanassiev, Kit Armstrong, Silke Avenhaus, Yuri Bashmet, Lisa Batiashvili, Milana Chernyavska, Ana Chumachenko, Veronika Eberle, Tobias Feldmann, Liza Ferschtman, Johannes Fischer, Julia Fischer, Vilde Frang, Christian Gerhaher, Kirill Gerstein, Boris Giltburg, Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer, Lang Lang, Francois Leleux, Alexander Lonquich, Yo-Yo Ma, Plamena Mangova, Lena Neudauer, Alice Sara Ott, Enrico Pace, Emmanuel Pahud, Lawrence Power, Gil Shaham, Marianna Shirinyan, Baiba Skride, Antoine Tamestit, Alexandre Tharaud, Jörg Widmann, Natalia Prischepenko (Artemis Quartet), Arnold Steinhardt (Guarneri Quartet), and ensembles such as the Belcea, Fauré, Goldmund, Notos, Philharmonia, and Rosamunde Quartets.

His discography, which includes solo, chamber, and orchestral works, has been released by Oehms Classics, Sony Classical, and Deutsche Grammophon. He was awarded the “Diapason d’Or” for his recording of the Bach Cello Suites. His recordings include a chamber music album with Lisa Batiashvili, Francois Leleux, and Lawrence Power, as well as a duo CD with Pianist Milana Chernyavska, featuring French repertoire. His most recent album focuses on Dvořák’s Cello Concerto Op. 104, recorded with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie under Simon Gaudenz, along with the Dumky Trio featuring Lisa Batiashvili and Milana Chernyavska.

Sebastian Klinger served as Principal Cellist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for 13 years, working under chief conductors Mariss Jansons and Sir Simon Rattle, as well as with many of the world’s leading conductors.

In 2015, he was appointed Professor of Cello at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, where he has since led a highly successful cello class. Many of his former students now hold solo and tutti positions in major German orchestras.