# Biography Joris van den Berg, cellist

Joris van den Berg, born in the Netherlands in 1986, is a diverse and talented young cellist, characterized as a true artist with a personal sound, an intelligent and warm musicality, a strong conviction and an impressive command of the instrument. Mr. Van den Berg studied at Conservatory of Amsterdam with Quirine Viersen and Godfried Hoogeveen, at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Ralph Kirshbaum and Gary Hoffman and at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne with Frans Helmerson. He graduated with highest distinction and received the Gold Medal, the highest award in performance, and an International Artist Diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music.

Joris van den Berg made his debut in the big hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, performing with Amsterdam Sinfoniëtta conducted by David Geringas, after he won the first prize at the Dutch National Cello Competition 2006. Together with his regular pianist Martijn Willers he was prize-winner at the International Johannes Brahms Competition 2008 in Austria. Joris van den Berg was awarded the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2014 from the Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. This included a recital tour in the 2013- 2014 season with performances in the most important concert halls in The Netherlands, including the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam together with pianist Martijn Willers. The duo is widely acclaimed for its sincere and intense performances of the cello and piano repertoire. In searching for utmost depth and musical truth, Joris van den Berg and Martijn Willers have found ideal colleagues in each other. The intense musical and personal dialogue between the two musicians and between the musicians and their audience is one of the central themes of their performances, which conquered the hearts of many audiences. The duo’s first album with works by Prokofiev, Lutoslawski and Britten, titled Dialogo, was released in 2013 on Cobra Records.

Joris van den Berg had master classes with, among others, Heinrich Schiff, Janos Starker and Lynn Harrel and chamber music master classes with Silke Avenhaus, Gabor Takacs and Nobuko Imai. He participated among others in the Verbier Festival Academy, International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove.

Chamber music is an important part of Mr. Van den Berg’s life. Besides his collaboration with pianist Martijn Willers he performs in different ensembles in the Netherlands and abroad, working among others with Daniel Hope, Philippe Graffin and Gary Hoffman. Joris van den Berg performed concertos with The Hague Residentie Orchestra (The Hague Philharmonic), Manchester Camerata, the Symphony Orchestra of Flanders, Amsterdam Sinfoniëtta and Camerata Amsterdam. He performed among others at the big hall and the recital hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the big hall of the Moscow Conservatory and at the Wigmore Hall, London.

Joris van den Berg plays a Giovanni Grancino cello (1703) and a Tourte “L’ainé” bow, placed at his disposal by the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation.

(It is obligatory always to mention this last sentence because of the contract with the National (June 2015) Musical Instrument Foundation)