“As I approach retirement, I cherish every programme I take part in – not least because even after forty years in this orchestra, I am constantly discovering new things. Our profession is full of stimulation and variety,” says Christoph Igelbrink. Yet at the start of his career, the cellist was plagued by doubts about whether he could really cope with life in an orchestra. “Your scope for shaping things yourself is limited – you have to yield a bit of control,” he explains. For a musician who values freedom, that was initially difficult.
It didn’t take long, however, before he realised all that the Berliner Philharmoniker offered him: the chance to work with outstanding soloists and conductors, which he found deeply inspiring, and, in addition, the many opportunities to perform chamber music. This was particularly important to him, as it sharpened his awareness of his own voice within an ensemble. This is why Christoph Igelbrink found an artistic home in chamber music groups – above all with the 12 Cellists. “We have so many wonderful, highly accomplished musical personalities here; their standards and their artistic seriousness have had a profound influence on me,” he says. Born in Düsseldorf, he has played the cello since the age of eleven, and knew early on that he wanted to become a professional musician.
After studying in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, he began his professional career in 1986 with the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1989 – just weeks before the end of the Karajan era. He experienced the disorientation of the older musicians when Karajan died, taking an era of autocratic leadership with him. “We had to adapt to Abbado’s way of working. He wanted us to learn much more through listening ourselves.” A whole series of moments remain unforgettable to him – the European Concerts in extraordinary cultural settings, the opera productions at the Easter Festival; Mahler’s symphonies under Abbado; the St Matthew Passion with Sir Simon Rattle; Mozart’s piano concertos with Daniel Barenboim.
Over the course of his career, however, he has witnessed some changes: “Attending concerts no longer has the social importance it once had. And we are moving further and further away from the era in which our classical repertoire was created. Contemporary music is often seen as too complicated, and only attracts a small audience,” he remarks with some concern. “If I could say one thing to today’s composers: please write more music that touches not only our intellect, but also our hearts.” As for his own future, he looks ahead with equanimity – and with pleasure at the freedom regained.