The young cellist Mathias Johansen, recently having played his debut Shostakovich’s 1st Cello Concerto in the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall, has won several national prizes in the German “Jugend Musiziert” (Youth Music) Competition as well as in further Competitions like “Stuttgarter Musikpreis” and “Tonkünstlerwettbewerb”. Taking 2nd place at the 2008 International Cello Competition Liezen (Austria) 2008, he is also scholar at various renowned foundations such as: The Siemens AG Foundation, PE-Foerderkreis Mannheim, Marie-Luise-Imbusch Foundation, and the Villa Musica Chamber Music Foundation.

He has had the privileged opportunities of participating in many master classes with international renowned Cellists, amongst them being: Natalia Gutman, David Geringas, Wolfgang Boettcher, Claude Starck, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt and Jens Peter Maintz. In 2005 he began his musical studies in Munich with Professor Wen-Sinn Yang and changed to Lübeck with Prof. Troels Svane in 2008. From 2011 on he will start his Master of Music studies in Berlin with Frans Helmerson. Mathias was also chosen principal cellist for the Bavarian-Quebec Orchestra, the Feldkirch Festival Orchestra, the State Youth Orchestra as well as many others. 2011/12 he is going to play in the Bavarian Broadcast Symphony Orchestra.

Playing exceptional concerts in all of Europe, Mathias has already mastered all major Cello Concertos and Duo Literature. As a soloist he has played with orchestras like the Esslingen Chamber Orchestra, the Göppingen Chamber Orchestra, the Schorndorf Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestergemeinschaft Hamburg, the Berlin Doctors Orchestra, and Philharmonics Schwäbisch Gmünd. The past few years, being conductive to his career, he has performed in some of the greatest concert halls of Germany amongst them the Laeiszhalle Hamburg (2009), the Philharmonic Hall Berlin (2010) and the Philharmonic Hall Munich (2008). In 2007 he was on a tour through Georgia (Europe) and 2008 on a tour through the biggest cities of Norway. He has also been invited to several Chamber Music Festivals like the Podum Festival Esslingen, the Styrian Chamber Music Festival, or the Zeitkunstfestival Berlin.

After a fantastic childhood in Norway, Mathias Johansen and his family moved to southern Germany where he attended school and began cello lessons at seven. Growing up with two musical parents, naturally he developed the desire to play an instrument. Ekkehard Hessenbruch plays a significant role in the young cellist’s life because of his support from the “Freie Musikschule Engelberg” Music School, which offered him plenty of opportunities to play concerts and chamber music.

Mathias Johansen once owned and played on a wonderful Cello made by Chanot 1887 and now plays a wonderful Cello by Joseph Antonius Rocca (Turin 1839) provided by "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben".

2010 - Please do not use CVs of older date. Changes need acceptance by Mathias Johansen