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

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Album highlights

Title: Songbook
Composer: Paganini, Burgmüller, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Mancini, de Falla, Ravel, Gnattali, Satie
Other Artists: Ismo Eskelinen, guitar
Released: 2019
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Double Concertos
Composer: Brahms, Rihm, Harbison
Other Artists: Mira Wang, violin, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Peter Oundjian – conductor
Released: 2018
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends: New Worlds
Composer: Gershwin, Bach, Ravel, Mancini, Piazzolla, Bernstein, Text by Whitman, Twain, Hemingway, Cooper
Other Artists: Bill Murray, vocals, Mira Wang, violin, Vanessa Perez, piano
Released: 2017
Label: Decca Gold

Title: Schumann Cello Concerto & Symphony No. 2
Composer: R. Schumann
Other Artists: Dresden Festival Orchestra, Ivon Bolton – conductor
Released: 2016
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Tchaikovsky
Composer: P. Tchaikovsky
Other Artists: Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Moritzburg Festival Ensemble, Andrés Orozco-Estrada – conductor
Released: 2016
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Concerti di Venezia
Composer: Caldara, Marcello, Porpora, Vandini, Vivaldi
Other Artists: La Folia Barockorchester
Released: 2014
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Dichterliebe
Composer: R. Schumann
Other Artists: Moritzburg Festival Ensemble, Hélène Grimaud – piano
Released: 2013
Label: Sony Classical

Title: J. S. Bach; The Cello Suites
Composer: J. S. Bach
Other Artists:
Released: 2013
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Ludwig van Beethoven: Triple Concerto – Symphony No. 5
Composer: L. v. Beethoven
Other Artists: The Knights, Eric Jacobsen, Colin Jacobsen, Antti Siirala
Released: 2013
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Kammermusik für Streicher
Composer: W. A. Mozart
Other Artists: Moritzburg Festival Ensemble
Released: 2012
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Schubert trout variations
Composer: F. Schubert
Other Artists: Moritzburg Festival Ensemble
Released: 2011
Label: Sony Classical

Title: My Tunes 2
Composer: Various
Other Artists: Dresdner Kapellsolisten, Helmut Branny – conductor
Released: 2010
Label: Sony Classical

Title: New Worlds
Composer: Various
Other Artists: The Knights Ensemble, Eric Jacobsen – conductor
Released: 2010
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Joseph Haydn: Cellokonzerte I-III
Composer: J. Haydn
Other Artists: Virtuosi Saxoniae, Ludwig Güttler – conductor
Released: 2010
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Johann Sebastian Bach: Gambensonaten BWV 1027-1029
Composer: J. S. Bach
Other Artists: Martin Stadtfeld – piano
Released: 2009
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Jan Vogler and The Knights Experience: Live from New York
Composer: D. Shostakovich, J. Hendrix
Other Artists: The Knights Ensemble, Eric Jacobsen – conductor
Released: 2009
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Mendelssohn: Cellosonaten Nr. 1 & 2
Composer: F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Other Artists:  Louis Lottie – piano
Released: 2009
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Jan Vogler – The Cellist
Composer: Various
Other Artists:  Münchener Kammerorchester, Louis Lottie, Bruno Canino – piano, Virtuosi Saxoniae Orchestra, Christoph Poppen – conductor
Released: 2009
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Tango!
Composer: A. Piazzolla
Other Artists: Moritzburg Festival Ensemble
Released: 2008
Label: RCA

Title: Camille Saint-Saens: Cellokonzert Nr.1 / La Muse et le Poète
Composer: C. Saint-Saens
Other Artists: Mira Wang – Violine, Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR, Thierry Fischer – conductor
Released: 2008
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Concerti Brillanti
Composer: Various
Other Artists: Münchener Kammerorchester, Reinhard Giebel – conductor
Released: 2007
Label: Sony Classical

Title: My Tunes 1
Composer: Various
Other Artists: Dresdner Kapellsolisten, Helmut Branny – conductor
Released: 2007
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Mozart: Divertimento for string trio
Composer: W. A. Mozart
Other Artists: Moritzburg Festivals Ensemble
Released: 2006
Label: Sony Classical

Title: The Secrets of Dvořák’s cello concerto
Composer: A. Dvořák, S. Collins Foster
Other Artists: Angelika Kirschschlager – Mezzo, Helmut Deutsch – Piano, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, David Robertson – conductor
Released: 2005
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Richard Strauss – Don Quixote
Composer: R. Strauss
Other Artists: Louis Lottie – piano, Staatskapelle Dresden, Fabio Luise – conductor
Released: 2004
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Cello Concertos
Composer: E. W. Korngold, S. Barber, J. Bürger
Other Artists: German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken, Thomas Sanderling – conductor
Released: 2004
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Fauré/Schumann – Piano Quintets
Composer: R. Schumann, G. Fauré
Other Artists: Louis Lottie – piano, James Ehnes, Mira Wang – Violine, Naoko Shimizu – Viola
Released: 2003
Label: Sony Classical

Title: Schumann/Widmann Cello Concertos
Composer: R. Schumann, J. Widmann
Other Artists: Münchener Kammerorchester, Christoph Poppen – conductor
Released: 2002
Label: Berlin Classics

Title: Clarinet Trios
Composer: L. v. Beethoven, J. Brahms, J. Widmann
Other Artists: Jörg Widmann – clarinet, Ewa Kupier – piano
Released: 2002
Label: Berlin Classics

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Bloch: Schelomo, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra | Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 | Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Oct 2017: “Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & friends: New Worlds” #1 On The Classical Charts

Saturday Sessions: Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends perform J. S. Bach Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1 in G-Major, BWV 1007  & “Blessing the Boats”, CBS This Morning, Oct 2017

Kabalevsky: Cello concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 49 | Staatskapelle Halle

J. S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G-Major, BWV 1007 – Prelude

Beethoven Cycle: Sonatas for Piano and Violoncello

Program
Beethoven   Cello Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op.5/1 (1796)   [23’]

Beethoven   Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op.5/2 (1796)   [23’]

Beethoven   Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op.69 (1807-08)   [25’]

Beethoven   Cello Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op.102/1 (1815)   [15’]

Beethoven   Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op.102/2 (1815)   [20’]

Cello
Jan Vogler

Piano
Sonata No. 1: Elias Keller
Sonata No. 2: Tiffany Poon
Sonata No. 3: Ellen Lee
Sonata No. 4: Elisabeth Brauß
Sonata No. 5: Lauren Zhang

About the project
World renowned cellist Jan Vogler teams up with five young talented pianists to discover Beethoven`s Cello Sonatas together. Five pianists will explore the fascinating colors of Beethoven`s Cycle, each one joining Jan Vogler for one piece on stage and getting the unique chance in performing with a cello legend on major venues around the world.

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Duo Program for Cello and Guitar from the album “Songbook” (2019)

Program
J.S. Bach   Suite for Violoncello No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1007 (for cello solo)

I. Albéniz   Asturias (Prelude from Chants d’Espagne, Op. 232) (for guitar solo)

H. Mancini   Moon River (arr. for cello and guitar)

R. Gnattali   Sonata for Guitar and Cello

Intermission

F. Burgmüller   3 Nocturnes for cello and guitar

N. Paganini   Cantabile, MS 109/Op.17 (arr. for cello and guitar)

H. Villa-Lobos   Bachianas Brasileiras No 5: I. Aria ’Cantilena’ (arr. for cello and guitar)

A. Piazzolla   from Histoire du Tango (arr. for cello and guitar by Jan Vogler)
‘Bordel 1900’
‘Café 1930
‘Nightclub 1960’

Duration: ca. 80min + Intermission

Cello
Jan Vogler

Guitar
Ismo Eskelinen

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Tanja Dorn

Owner & President
Phone: +49 (0) 511 13 222 475
Email: dorn@dornmusic.com