The success of the German Brass lies in its sound. As a pioneer of brass ensembles, the German Brass has not only made its mark in music history since its founding in 1974 , but is continuing its success story. The 10 brass soloists and university professors create the ensemble's true sound without compromise, and distinguish themselves by discovering and innovating new sounds with every concert and recording.
With the German Brass, sound is celebrated and becomes an experience for the audience. The German Brass pays tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach, who gave birth to the idea of the legendary German Brass sound, and has performed with ten wind players since its final formation in 1984. Since then, brass chamber music has become an essential part of concert life both at home and abroad, and the German Brass has lived up to its reputation as pioneers for decades.
The arrangements by Matthias Hofs and Alexander Elbrich-Crawford , specially adapted to the artistry and technical excellence of the ensemble members, have long been classics in the brass repertoire. The repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century , and concerts often end with international popular selections, including jazz and bossa nova. The German Brass adds humorous commentary from the stage to the concerts.
The ensemble is perhaps the most notable internationally for its recording activity, having released over 30 albums by 2019 .
member
Matthias Höfs
Matthias Hoefs
At the age of six, Matthias Höfs declared the trumpet to be his instrument because "it shines so beautifully." He studied with Professor Peter Kalensee at the University of Music and Performing Arts Hamburg and with Professor Conradin Groth at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic.
At the tender age of 18 , he became principal trumpet of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra. For 16 years he enjoyed the fascinating world of opera. At the same time, he became a member of the Deutsche Brass, achieving worldwide success. Since his first concert in 1985 , he has been working with his colleagues on arrangements that are "for him" and inspire the brass world in innovative, enduring and genre-transcending ways.
Whether through his close collaborations with composers who are inspired by his unparalleled virtuosity and experimental spirit, his work as a " trumpet ambassador " in his native Schleswig-Holstein, or his long-standing collaboration with instrument makers Max and Heinrich Thein, Matthias Höfs' pioneering spirit continues to expand the horizons of the instrument.
Since 2000 , Matthias Höfs has been professor at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater, where he also passes on his passion for musical instruments to his dedicated students.
In addition to his wide range of concert activities as a soloist and chamber musician, he has produced numerous solo CDs and has recorded more than 20 CDs with GERMAN BRASS .
Uwe Köller
Uwe Keller
Uwe Keller (born 1964 in Neuss) began his career as a trumpeter, studying with Rodney Miller in Düsseldorf in 1978 and then with Pierre Thibault in Paris (until 1985 ).
He then studied under Martin Kretzer as a scholarship student of the Herbert von Karajan Foundation ( 1986-1988 ).
After these highly stimulating studies, he began his career as principal trumpet of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra ( Symphonischen Orchester Berlin ) (not the Berlin Philharmonic, but the German Berlin Symphony Orchestra), and since 1991 has served as principal trumpet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Since 1997 he has been professor at the University of Music in Graz, where he has been full-time professor in the trumpet department since September 2000 .
Since 1995 he has been touring as a permanent member of the German Brass.
Christian Höcherl
Christian Hechel
From 2003, he served as assistant principal trumpet of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra for two years, and since 1999 , he has served as principal trumpet of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, from 2003 , he served as assistant principal trumpet of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra for two years.
As a soloist he has enjoyed success with orchestras such as the Dresden Philharmonic, the Pilsen Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Frauenkirche, as well as at various festivals such as the Rheingau Festival, the Brandenburg Summer Concert and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival.
Christoph Baerwind
Christoph Beerwind
Trumpeter Christoph Bahlwind was born in Lübeck in 1966 and began trumpet lessons at the age of 9. His great talent for the instrument was soon apparent and before continuing on to higher education he began his preliminary training at the Lübeck Music Academy, where he studied with Peter Kalensee from 1978 to 1985 .
After graduating from high school in 1985, Christoph Berwind's career path was set: in 1986 he moved to Hamburg and began his studies at the University of Music there. In 1988 he became trumpeter at the Lower Saxony State Theatre in Hanover, and just one year later he moved to the orchestra of the Hamburg State Opera.
Member of GERMAN BRASS since 1992.
Emil Haderer
Emil Hadeler
Born in Austria, she began her musical education at the State Music Academy of Perg, where she won numerous awards at the Prima la Musica competition and in 2004 won the prestigious Gradus ad Parnassum competition.
In 2005 , at the age of 25 , he became the solo trombonist of the NDR Raj Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a soloist, he has performed with the Bruckner Orchestra and the Sinfonietta Vorarlberg.
He has also made guest appearances with many orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Dresden, and is active as a member of ensembles such as the Alte Ensemble and MACH7 .
Fritz Winter
Fritz Winter
Fritz Winter was born in Wornsach and began his career as a tenor horn player in the local brass band, before studying under Hansjörg Profinter at the Leopold Mozart Academy in Augsburg.
He then studied trombone under Professor Michael Stern at the University of Music in Munich, where he completed advanced training and master classes. During this time he recorded several concertos for trombone and piano for the Bavarian Radio.
From 1993 to 1994 he was the assistant solo trombonist of the Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1994 he has been the principal trombonist of the Munich State Theatre, and since January 2014 he has been a new member of the German Brass.
Uwe Füssel
Uwe Fussel
Uwe Füssel (born 1961 in Berlin) took his first trombone lessons at the age of 13. Just five years later he won first place at the national competition "Jugend musiziert" .
He studied under Professor Johann Domus and Siegfried Cieslick at the Berlin University of the Arts from 1980 to 1984. While still a student, he was already active in major German orchestras before joining the Frankfurt Opera in 1984. In 1995 , he moved to the Munich State Opera, where he has been active as a bass trombonist ever since.
In parallel with his work as a trombonist, he also played with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra until 1997 .
For many years he taught successfully as a lecturer at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. His passion for brass chamber music is evident in the numerous brass ensembles of which Uwe Füssel is a founding member.
Among his most well-known works is the ensemble Opera Brass, which he founded in 1995. He is also a permanent alternate at the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.
Since 2002, he has been active as a bass trombonist for GERMAN BRASS .
Hanno Westphal
Hanno Westphal
Born in Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, he began taking horn lessons at the Helmstedt Music School at the age of nine .
Just four years later, in 1994 , he transferred to the Braunschweig Municipal Music School, where he became a member of the school's Youth Symphony Orchestra that same year.
Over the next few years, he won numerous competitions and was a member of the Lower Saxony Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In 1999 , at the age of 18 , he completed an orchestral internship with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta.
During his studies he was a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra.
He subsequently gained experience with the Jena Philharmonic (assistant principal horn), the Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Berlin Konzerthausorchestras (assistant principal horn), and most recently the Dresden Philharmonic (principal horn).
Since October 2018 , he has been the principal horn of the Staatskapelle Berlin.
Klaus Wallendorf
Klaus Wallendorf
Klaus Wallendorf was born on Hausmusik Day in 1948 in Elgerburg in the Thuringian Forest and has been making a living as a horn player since winning first prize at the national competition "Jugend Musiziert" (Summer 1965 ). Since 1980 he has been a member of the Berlin Philharmonic and since 1985 of the Deutsche Brass.
For all his honours with the Berlin Philharmonic he is in demand from time to time as literary and practical lyricist and, above all, as presenter of Live Cinema Concerts and, together with Andreas Kowalewicz, as musical cabaret artist for concerted laughs.
From the Horse Museum at the Allwetter Zoo in Münster to the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the Brahms Hall of the Vienna Philharmonic to Gasthof Kandler in Oberbiberg in Bavaria, no one can resist a smile at the phrase " Armagnac, aber reich an Eindrücken ".
In 2012 he published " Immer Ärger mit dem Cello " (Eternal Trouble with the Cello) with Galiani Berlin and is a holder of the Bahn Card 50 .
Stefan Ambrosius
Stephen Ambrosius
Stephan Ambrosius is the ensemble's youngest member.
At the age of 12 he began taking tenor horn lessons from his father, and switched to the tuba at the age of 16. In 1999 he studied with Lennart Nolt at the University of Music Saarbrücken, and in 2001 with Stephan Heymann at the University of Music Stuttgart, graduating in 2005 .
While still a student , he already had a temporary contract with the Stuttgart State Opera ( 2001-2005 ). As an extra, he has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and many opera houses in Germany. He has also toured and given master classes in Japan, Korea, China, Russia, the USA, India, and other European countries.
Since 2005 he has been tuba player at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
He has been a permanent member of GERMAN BRASS since 2007 .
Herbert Wachter
Herbert Wachtel
"For a percussionist, integrating into the homogenous sound of a brass ensemble poses a special challenge.
"The rhythmic structure of the music should be unobtrusively supportive; the individuality of the ensemble should be enhanced, not altered, by the percussion. "
Herbert Wachtel (b. 1961 ) trained as a music teacher and musician at the Weingarten Hochschule, the Federal Academy of Music in Trossingen and at the Drummers Collective in New York.
Drummer for GERMAN BRASS since 2001.
