Julius Berger - Artistic Director
Born in Augsburg in 1954, Julius Berger studied at the Munich Academy of Music with Walter Reichardt and Fritz Kiskalt, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Antonio Janigro, at the University of Cincinnati/USA with Zara Nelsova and with Mstislav Rostropovic in a Master Class course.
At the age of 28, Julius Berger was offered a chair at the Academy of Music in Würzburg and became one of the youngest professors in Germany. First in Würzburg, later in Saarbrücken and Mainz and since 2000 in Augsburg , holding the chair of Cello and Chamber music, he has promoted top range young cellists. Since 1992 he also has directed a class at the international Summer Academy of the Salzburg Mozarteum.
Julius Berger has dedicated a large part of his international concert and recording activities to the rediscovery of Luigi Boccherini's complete works as well as to the performance and CD editions of the works for cello and piano by Paul Hindemith, the works of Ernst Bloch, Max Bruch, Richard Strauss, Robert Schumann and Edward Elgar.
Julius Berger has also made a name for himself through his great commitment to contemporary music, gaining worldwide recognition for his recordings of compositions by John Cage and Sofia Gubaidulina. His tours and concerts have led to musical friendships with well known artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Eugen Jochum, Gidon Kremer, Paul Roczek, Margarita Höhenrieder, Siegfried Mauser, Jörg Demus, Norman Shetler, Pierre Laurent Aimard, Stefan Hussong, Olivier Messiaen, Sofia Gubaidulina, Bertold Hummel and Wolfgang Rihm.
In addition, Julius Berger is the Artistic Director of the Eckelhausen Music Festival and also of the Asiago Festival (Italy). Since 1989 he has been a member of the Music Department of the Guardini Foundation in Berlin. For many years, Berger has also been the appointed counsellor and member of the permanent selection committee for music of the "Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes". International jury activities brought Julius Berger to the competitions in Salzburg (Mozart), Kronberg (Casals), Markneukirchen, Munich, Warsaw, etc.
Photo: Behrbohm, Augsburg
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