A native of Dillenburg in Germany, Maria Kliegel is one of the leading cello-virtuosi of our time. She took up her studies with Janos Starker at Indiana University in the United States, and won first prize at the American College Competition, at the First German Music Competition and the Concours Also Parisot. After her victory at the Rostropovich Competition in 1981, a series of outstanding international concerts and tours began, with appearances in Basle, with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington and with the Orchestre National de France in Paris, always accompanied by Mstislav Rostropovich conducting. Successful concert events have naturally led to numerous recording sessions for radio, television and for record labels. In 1990, when she recorded Alfred Schnittke’s First Concerto for cello and Orchestra, the Russian composer recognised her interpretation as the standard recording of the work. The critics agreed when Maria Kliegel’s recording appeared on Marco Polo, and later on Naxos. She appears regularly as a guest soloist at venues all over the world, and has an exceptionally wide repertoire, her versatility and interest in exploring newer works stimulating contemporary composers to write music for her to perform, for example Hommage à Nelson by Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann, dedicated to Nelson Mandela. As a result of the composition’s success, Maria Kliegel was invited by the South African President to give a private recital in his residence. In November 1998 Maria Kliegel was appointed
member of the board of the influential Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council). In 1999, she was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia by State President Wolfgang Clement. Her interest in the next generation of cellists is reflected in her masterclasses at the Cologne Music Academy since 1986. Maria Kliegel’s many recording for Naxos include concertos and other cello-works by Beethoven, Bloch, Brahms, Bruch, Dohnányi, Dvořák, Elgar, Gubaidulina, Haydn, Lalo, Popper, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Shostakovich, Tavener and Tchaikovsky. She has also recorded a large volume of recital music by Brahms, Chopin, Dohnányi, Gubaidulina, Kodály, Lalo, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Piazolla and others. In addition to her work with the pianist Nina Tichman, she also collaborates with the violinist Ida Bieler in the Xyrion Trio, established in 2001.
Maria Kliegel plays the legendary “Ex Gendron” cello made by Stradivarius in 1693. For more than thirty years it was owned by Maurice Gendron and was eventually placed at her disposal by the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur in North Rhine Westphalia.
