Kronberg Academy begins 2026/27 academic year with three new principal teachers

Kronberg im Taunus, October 29, 2026 – At the start of the new academic year, Kronberg Academy is expanding the teaching faculty of its study programmes: cellists Jens Peter Maintz and Torleif Thedéen as well as violist Nils Mönkemeyer will join as principal teachers in their respective instruments. At the same time, the Academy is further expanding its collaboration with pianist Kirill Gerstein in the areas of duo coaching and chamber music.

Jens Peter Maintz and Nils Mönkemeyer have been closely associated with Kronberg Academy for many years through concerts, masterclasses and their work with young musicians. Torleif Thedéen joins as another internationally renowned artist, bringing extensive stage experience and many years of pedagogical expertise.

“With Jens Peter Maintz, Nils Mönkemeyer and Torleif Thedéen, we are gaining three fantastic musicians who combine extensive stage experience with a passion for teaching. Together with Kirill Gerstein, they broaden the circle of wonderful mentors who support our young musicians in developing their own artistic voice.”

Friedemann Eichhorn, Artistic Director and Director of Studies at Kronberg Academy

Jens Peter Maintz is internationally active as a soloist and chamber musician and has decades of experience teaching outstanding young musicians. He has taught at the Berlin University of the Arts since 2004 and regularly shares his experience in masterclasses and academies, including in Liechtenstein and Madrid.

Nils Mönkemeyer is one of the most internationally distinguished violists of his generation. As a soloist and chamber musician, he appears on major concert stages worldwide. Following professorships in Dresden and Munich, he has been Professor of Viola at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin since the 2025 summer semester.

Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen has ranked among Scandinavia’s most internationally renowned cellists for decades. He has performed with leading orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Vienna Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech Philharmonic. He is Guest Professor at the Royal College of Music in London and Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

Duo Coaching and Chamber Music with Kirill Gerstein

Kronberg Academy is also further deepening its long-standing collaboration with Kirill Gerstein. A particular focus in the new academic year is on chamber music, especially the interplay between string instruments and piano. This strengthens an area that is central to Kronberg Academy’s educational approach: young soloists develop their artistic personalities not only in lessons on their principal instrument, but also through intensive musical dialogue with others.

Study model tailored to individual artistic development

Kronberg Academy’s study programmes are designed for selected young violinists, violists and cellists who seek to combine artistic training at the highest level with emerging professional careers. The programmes are therefore tailored, both in content and scheduling, to the individual needs of the young musicians. In cooperation with the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, students can earn Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Young pianists are involved in chamber music in particular through the Sir András Schiff Performance Programme for Young Pianists.

Training at Kronberg Academy encompasses more than instrumental excellence: in the spirit of Pablo Casals, the Academy combines artistic development with responsibility for music, humanity and the Earth. Students therefore regularly take part in social outreach concerts and projects.

From the study programme to the stage: MittwochsKonzerte return

The popular MittwochsKonzerte (Wednesday Concerts), which have returned for the 2026/27 season, show how closely study and concert practice are connected in Kronberg. Almost every Wednesday, Kronberg Academy students create their own concert programmes in the Carl Bechstein Saal at the Casals Forum. They choose their repertoire and musical partners themselves, developing individual perspectives on chamber music. The series is an integral part of daily study at the Academy: the young musicians take responsibility for programming, ensemble playing and presentation before an audience.

Violinist Clara Neubauer opened the series on 14 October with Notes of Love and music by Clara Schumann, Luciano Berio, Arvo Pärt and Robert Schumann. On 28 October, cellist Charlotte Miles follows with Once Upon the End of Time and works by John Cage, Arnold Schönberg and Olivier Messiaen.

The series begins at 7:15 pm. Tickets cost €24 including one drink; a five-concert pass is available for €96. Admission is free for school pupils and students up to the age of 27.

Further information on the study programmes: www.kronbergacademy.de/studium/wegbegleiter-zur-weltspitze

MittwochsKonzerte and tickets: www.kronbergacademy.de/konzerte-projekte/reihen-themen/mittwochskonzerte

About Kronberg Academy

Kronberg Academy is one of the leading centres for artistic exchange and training for young violinists, violists, cellists and pianists. Under the auspices of the Kronberg Academy Foundation, young soloists in Kronberg work with major artistic personalities of our time and can earn Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees in Kronberg Academy’s study programmes. Concerts, festivals and international appearances regularly give them the opportunity to perform alongside their role models. Kronberg Academy’s guiding principles are inspired by the humanistic credo of Pablo Casals: art, humanity and respect for nature are inseparable. This is also embodied by the Casals Forum, the concert hall with an integrated study centre that can be operated on a carbon-neutral basis.

Further information and the full season programme: www.kronbergacademy.de

Study Programmes Contact

Kronberg Academy Study Programmes
Beethovenplatz 1
61476 Kronberg im Taunus
Tel. +49 (0) 6173 78 33 88
masters(at)kronbergacademy.de

Press Contact

Kronberg Academy Foundation 
Beethovenplatz 1 
61476 Kronberg im Taunus 
www.kronbergacademy.de

Sacha Knoche 
Press and Public Relations 
Tel.: +49 (0) 177 - 4137338 
s.knoche(at)kronbergacademy.de