Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world, such as New York Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and London Philharmonic Orchestra. His great ability allowed him to explore the sound boundaries of the cello and to establish an intensive dialogue with contemporary composers and artists. This includes regular world premieres, including works by Tigran Mansurian (with WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov), John Harbison (with Mira Wang and the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Udo Zimmermann (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra), Wolfgang Rihm (Double Concerto with Mira Wang), Jörg Widman (Cello Concerto Dunkle Saiten, dedicated to Jan Vogler himself) and Nico Muhly, Sven Helbig and Zhou-Long (Drei Kontinente – Konzert für Cello und Orchester, composed for Jan Vogler). The New York Times praises his “soulful, richly hued playing” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung grants him the ability “to make his cello speak like a singing voice”.
In addition to his classical concert activities as a soloist, Jan Vogler has collaborated with actor Bill Murray for their joint musical-literary project “Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends – New Worlds”. The innovative programme drew international attention and brought together works by Twain, Hemingway, Whitman, Cooper, Bernstein, Bach, Piazzolla, Mancini, Gershwin and Foster for an unexpected and exciting exploration of the relationship between literature and music.
Highlights of Jan Vogler’s career as a soloist are concerts with the New York Philharmonic – both in New York and Dresden at the occasion of the reopening of the rebuilt Dresdner Frauenkirche under the direction of Lorin Maazel in 2005 –, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Montréal Symphony Orchestras, Mariinsky Orchestra, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’ Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic as well as with The Knights. He collaborates with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Sir Antonio Pappano, Valery Gergiev, Thomas Hengelbrock, Manfred Honeck and Kent Nagano.
Jan Vogler has been working successfully with the Sony Classical label since 2003, and in the course of this cooperation some 20 CDs have been produced to date. His latest recording combines the world premiere recording of the Cello Concerto by Enric Casals with the Cello Concerto by Lalo, his partners being the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra and conductor Josep Caballe Domenech. In addition, his recording “Pop Songs” with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Omer Meir Wellber was released in May 2022. The new arrangements span from Monteverdi to Michael Jackson, from Mozart to the Beatles.
Further recordings include the cello concerto “Three Continents” by Nico Muhly (USA), Sven Helbig (D) and Zhou Long (CHN) with the WDR Sinfonieorchester conducted by Cristian Măcelaru and the second Cello Concerto by Shostakovich with the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. The 2019 CD “Songbook” with Finnish guitarist Ismo Eskelinen expanded the repertoire of the unusual combination of cello and guitar with pieces by de Falla, Paganini and Piazzolla, among others.
Productions prior to that include the CD of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, released in March 2016, together with the HR Symphony Orchestra under Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the string sextet ‘Souvenir de Florence’ with the Moritzburg Festival Ensemble, “Concerti di Venezia” with 18th century Venetian cello concertos. The Schumann CD “Dichterliebe” with Hélène Grimaud, as well as his highly acclaimed recording of the six suites for cello solo by J. S. Bach. Also worth mentioning are his CDs “My Tunes” 1 and 2, for which Jan Vogler recorded short character pieces with orchestra, his recording of Strauss’ ‘Don Quixote’ with the Staatskapelle Dresden under Fabio Luisi and the award-winning recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with the New York Philharmonic under David Robertson (Pizzicato Supersonic Award, Diapason d’Or Janvier, Choc – Le Monde de la Musique Mars).
Jan Vogler has been Director of the renowned Dresden Music Festival since October 2008 as well as Artistic Director of the Moritzburg Festival since 2001.
In 2006, he received the European Award for Culture and in 2011 the Erich-Kästner Award for tolerance, humanity and international understanding, and in 2018 he received the European Award for Culture TAURUS as Director of the Dresden Music Festival. In October 2021, Jan Vogler received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Jan Vogler plays the Stradivari ‘Ex Castelbarco/Fau’ 1707 cello.
Jan Vogler is represented worldwide by Tanja Dorn at Dorn Music.
This approved biography is not to be altered or shortened without the management’s permission. Please replace older versions.
February 2023
Website: www.janvogler.com
