Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt

Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt is considered one of the great German cellists and is also a highly sought-after conductor. A laureate of the Rostropovich, Tchaikovsky, and Leonard Rose competitions, he has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Sinfonia Varsovia, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Houston Symphony, under the direction of Charles Dutoit, Marek Janowski, Jiri Belohlavek, among others. A passionate chamber musician, he has performed alongside Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, and Leonidas Kavakos, and was a member of the Chamber Music Society Two at Lincoln Center in New York. His recordings with Sony Classical and Capriccio have received critical acclaim and were awarded a Diapason d’Or and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Founder and principal conductor of the Metamorphosen Berlin ensemble, he regularly conducts this orchestra throughout Europe, often appearing as both soloist and conductor. He plays a Matteo Goffriller cello that once belonged to Hugo Becker.