The cellist played with the orchestra since 1994, and was also a member of the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic

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Cellist Dietmar Schwalke. Photo Stefan Höderath

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After 31 years with the Berlin Philharmonic, the cellist Dietmar Schwalke has announced his retirement. 

Schwalke, who joined the orchestra in 1994, was also a member of the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. Additionally, he spent nine years playing with the Philharmonia Quartet, with whom he explored Beethoven’s string quartets. 

Born in Pinneberg, near Hamburg, Schwalke studied in Hamburg with Arthur Troester, and later in Berlin with Wolfgang Boettcher. He completed his training under Pierre Fournier. He was he was a prizewinner in the German Music Council’s (Deutscher Musikrat) Platform for Young Soloists competition, which resulted in extensive performance and recording opportunities. 

Schwalke was in his teens and had only just started learning the cello when he first encountered the Berlin Philharmonic, in a concert conducted by Herbert von Karajan in Hamburg. ‘He conducted an overwhelming performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony,’ he commented. ‘It left a deep impression on me and I knew then and there what I wanted to do with my life.’ 

Schwalke first played with the Kreuzberg Quartet in Berlin and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra before joining the Berlin Philharmonic in 1994. Highlights of his 31-year career with the orchestra include performances under conductors Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle and Kirill Petrenko. His personal concert highlights include playing Mahler’s Second Symphony under Georg Solti and Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony under Herbert von Karajan.

Of the Berlin Phil, he said: ‘It’s a melting pot of outstanding musicians, all of whom are passionate chamber players. I gained immensely from that – musically and personally.’

 For his retirement Schwalke intends to devote more time to Baroque music and its performance practice, and to refresh his piano playing.

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