Cello Masterclasses

23 until 30 September 2026

Where is the spark that ignites it all? Where great artists inspire young talents with their genius and pass on their knowledge and experience. This is what happens at the Cello Masterclasses every two years during the Kronberg Festival! They learn from their role models in public lessons.
This is also an opportunity for us, the audience, to delve deep into the 'secret' corners of wonderful cello music.

At a glance:

Professors: Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Jens-Peter Maintz, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt
Eligibility: Cello students (age limit for active participants: 28 years, born 1998 or later)
Registration period: March 9 – June 1, 2026 (link provided via this website)
Acceptance/ Rejection notification: by June 15, 2026
Registration fee: €300 (additionally, discounted accommodation can be booked after acceptance from June 15)
Lesson fee: €80 per 45 minutes
Arrival and on-site registration: September 23, 2026
On-site audition and results announcement: September 24, 2026
Lessons: September 25 – 30, 2026
Final student concerts: September 30, 2026 (7:15 PM and 10:00 PM)
Departure: October 1, 2026

For participants

Every two years, the Kronberg Academy invites cello students from around the world to the "world capital of the cello" (Mstislav Rostropovich). For almost a week, they will gain valuable insights from five outstanding cello professors. This year, we are pleased to welcome Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (for applicants up to 18 years old, born 2008 or later), Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Jens Peter Maintz, and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

Active applicants participate in a live audition on September 24. The professors will select applicants for 2–3 masterclass sessions, held at the Casals Forum and other venues in Kronberg. It is also possible to register as a passive participant to experience the masterclasses up close and learn from the professors.

In addition to the public masterclasses, all participants have the opportunity to experience their professors and other performing artists in concerts of this year’s Kronberg Festival Courage.

All accepted participants will receive a booking link by email on September 1, allowing them to reserve up to 6 concerts for free from the following 11 concerts:

September 23:

16:00 – K1 Jens Peter Maintz, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Frans Helmerson (Cello) (Casals Forum, Carl-Bechstein Hall)

September 25:

19:45 – K2 Gary Hoffman (Cello) & Kronberg Young Soloists (Casals Forum, Main Hall)
22:00 – K3 Sheku Kanneh-Mason (Cello) & Plinio Fernandes (Guitar) (Casals Forum, Carl-Bechstein Hall)

September 26:

18:15 – K4 Kremerata Baltica & Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt (Cello) (Casals Forum, Main Hall)
22:00 – K5 ‘Cello Fellows’ – Leonard Disselhorst (Cello) & Bryan Cheng (Cello)

September 27:

17:00 – K6 Duo Bartolomey Bittmann – Matthias Bartholomey (Cello) & Klemens Bittmann (Violin & Mandola) (Carl-Bechstein Hall, Casals Forum)
19:15 – K7 BAAM – Berlin Academy of American Music (Casals Forum, Main Hall)

September 29:

18:30 – K8 Ensemble Resonanz & Nicolas Altstaedt (Cello) (Casals Forum, Main Hall)

September 30:

19:15 – K9 Prizewinner Concert of the Masterclasses with the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn (Casals Forum, Main Hall)
22:00 – K10 Recital – Final Concert „Entdeckungen“ of the Masterclasses (Casals Forum, Carl-Bechstein Hall)

October 1:

11:00 – K11 David Geringas, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Jens Peter Maintz (Cello) (Casals Forum, Carl-Bechstein Hall)

ATTENTION: Free tickets are limited. If a concert is fully booked, a waiting list will be maintained. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Already BEFORE the booking period, all participants can buy student tickets at a 50% discount for ALL festival concerts: https://kronbergfestival.de/ (pre-sale starts June 1, 2026)

Selected lectures during the masterclasses, string tests with our string partners (Thomastik-Infeld Vienna, Larsen Strings, Pirastro), and sound adjustments with Dominik Wlk and Beares, who will be present for several days during the masterclasses, complement the masterclass package. Further information will be provided by email to accepted participants.

During the masterclasses, the professors, together with Raimund Trenkler (Intendant and Founder of Kronberg Academy) and Prof. Friedemann Eichhorn (Artistic Director of Kronberg Academy), decide which participants will perform in the two final concerts on September 30 at the Casals Forum.

In the first final concert at 7:15 PM, selected participants will have the opportunity to perform selected movements from cello concertos with the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn in the Main Hall of the Casals Forum. During the masterclasses, the professors, and Mr. Raimund Trenkler and Prof. Friedemann Eichhorn, will decide which participant will perform which movement from the following concert repertoire (participants may indicate their preferences when registering):

Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob VIIb:1 / Haydn
Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major, Hob VIIb:2 / Haydn
Cello Concerto No. 3 in D Major, GV 476 / Boccherini
Rococo Variations, Op. 33 / Tchaikovsky
Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 / Bruch

During this concert, the following awards of €5,000 each will be presented: the Landgraf von Hessen- Preis and the Frans Helmerson Förderpreis.

In the second final concert at 10:00 PM, selected participants will perform cello and piano repertoire or solo pieces in the Carl-Bechstein Hall. The repertoire will also be decided by the professors during the masterclasses (participants indicate their repertoire during the registration process).

Active applicants participate in the audition on September 24 in Kronberg. Applicants can choose from the audition repertoire (whole works or excerpts):

AUDITION-REPERTOIRE
Please select two pieces/movements from different musical periods:

Solo: Bach Solo Suites or any solo works

Concertos: Dvořák, Elgar, Haydn, Lalo, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Tchaikovsky (Rococo Variations)

Sonatas for Cello and Piano: Beethoven, Debussy, Franck, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Schubert (Arpeggione Sonata), Schumann (Adagio and Allegro, Fantasiestücke, 5 Pieces in Folk Style)

Virtuoso pieces: of your choice

Each applicant may audition for only one professor. During the registration process, applicants can indicate their first and second preference.
A piano accompanist will be provided. It is not possible to contact and rehearse with the pianist in advance.
Applicants can warm-up 30 min before the audition; no other practice rooms are available on site.
The audition repertoire should not exceed 10 min and must be fully prepared.

Results are announced on the evening of the audition (September 24). Selected applicants will receive 2–3 masterclass lessons in the following days.
Active participants will have at least two lessons with their professor and the opportunity (if selected) to perform in the final concerts and attend the prize winning ceremony on September 30.
Lesson fee: €80 per 45 minutes, to be paid on-site at the beginning of the masterclasses.
Applicants who are not selected for the masterclasses automatically become passive participants and can attend the full „Masterclass package“ (public masterclasses, booked festival concerts, lectures, string tests, sound adjustments) until the end of the masterclasses.

From March 9:

Booking and payment of the “Masterclass Package” via Eventim link: one “ticket” per participant (€300), registration as a customer, payment by direct debit, VISA, or Mastercard. A booking confirmation will be sent by email.
ATTENTION: Each applicant (active applicant for the audition/lessons, passive applicant, or accompanying person) must individually register on Eventim with their own email address and book the "masterclass package"!
After the sucessfull booking, the Kronberg Academy will send a link to the registration form.
The registration form contains further information (booking/customer number, active/passive application or accompanying, preferred professor, repertoire, CV, photo, letter of recommendation for active applicants, preferred accommodation).

From June 15:

Participants will receive a confirmation or rejection by email.
Accepted active applicants may book limited accommodation options (link provided via email; first-come-first-served).
ATTENTION: Passive applicants must arrange their own accommodation. Accompanying persons can only book the accomodation option "Hotel double room"
Accommodation is provided only during the masterclass period (September 23 – October 1); Participants must arrange and cover their own accommodation if arriving before or departing after the official dates.

Accommodation options

Hotel

Discounted rooms are available for up to 60 participants at the B&B Hotel Frankfurt West. The Kronberg Academy Foundation covers 50% of the hotel costs.
45 single rooms (€35.50/night) and 15 double rooms (€41.50/night) with separate beds are available. A discounted breakfast (€9.90/day) can be added.
The hotel is within walking distance of Eschborn Süd S-Bahn station; the Casals Forum can be reached via the S4 train in around 15 minutes. Participants are responsible for their own transport. Single, day, or weekly tickets can be purchased through the RMV or at a ticket machine at the train station.

Youth hostel – Fritz-Emmel-Haus

Up to 22 participants can stay at the Youth hostel Kronberg for €30/night: http://www.fritz-emmel-haus.de/ueberuns/haus.html
The accommodation is provided in max. triple rooms and breakfast is included in the prize.
ATTENTION: The hostel is located aprrox. a 30-minute walk from the Casals Forum; buses run regulary between the Casals Forum and the hostel.

Host families

Up to 50 participants can stay with local host families in Kronberg for €20/night, paid directly to the host on-site.

All host families offer this service because they are interested in intercultural exchange and wish to support the international character of the Kronberg Academy and the masterclasses. We kindly ask this hospitality to be respected. Host families are not obliged to provide transportation, offer Wi-Fi, or take responsibility for students’ meals.

The participants are responsible for their own meals. Some hosts may provide meals. Nearby supermarkets, cafés, and restaurants are within walking distance of the masterclass venues and the B&B Hotel.

In exceptional cases, scholarships may be offered to cover travel expenses or the course fee. Applicants must submit a written request with two recommendation letters from two different professors via the registration form.

For communication during the masterclasses, a free registration via email in the tool “LineUpr” is required. Through this platform, participants will receive an overview of the auditions, masterclasses, concerts, and the program. It also provides the opportunity to network with other participants. The registration link will be provided by email from September 1.

The Kronberg Academy is not responsible for any loss or damage to participants’ instruments. The Kronberg Academy holds all copyrights for video and audio recordings made during the masterclasses.

Email: masterclasses(at)kronbergacademy.de

Telefon: +49 6173 - 783392

Änderungen vorbehalten.