Skip to content

Karsten Dönneweg
Musician

J. S. Bach

Suites for cello solo

I have always had the desire to record all of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello solo suites. More time to practice and a scholarship from the state of NRW now gave me the opportunity to do so. On June 06 and 07, 2021 I played all 6 suites in a row in the wonderful Veitskapelle in Mühlhausen. The recording will appear here and on YouTube shortly.

Before that I created my own edition with my strokes and fingerings, which is freely available for download here and on IMSLP:
Download link: Johann Sebastian Bach 6 Suites for Cello solo

About me

I like the variety as a freelance musician

Cellist

In erFirst and foremost I play the cello, since I was 5 years old.ster Linie spiele ich Cello, seit meinem 5. Lebensjahr

Conductor

Standing as a leader in front of a good orchestra – as here in the concert hall of the Forbidden City (Beijing) – is pure pleasure

Music manager

On my own behalf and especially as director of the Bergstadtsommer music festival in my hometown of St. Georgen, the highest place on the Black Forest railroad!

TV Productions

TV productions for ORF, 3sat and Arte, as assistant director in the service of PDV Records

Vita

Karsten Dönneweg received his first cello lessons at the age of five at the St.  Georgen Youth Music School. Parallel to his schoolin at the local grammar school, he began cello studies with Gerhard Hamann at the Trossingen Concervatory of Music. After graduating from high school, Karsten went to Stuttgart to study cello with Werner Taube at the Musikhochschule.
After semesters of cello studies abroad at the Concervatory of Music in Cincinnati with Lee Fiser of the LaSalle Quartet, and one year of military service as solo cellist with the chamber orchestra of the Stabsmusikcorp der Bundeswehr, Karsten completed his cello studies at the Musikhochschule Düsseldorf with Rudolph Mandalka and received the orchestra diploma with top marks. Karsten was admitted to postgraduate studies in Düsseldorf with Johannes Goritzki an passed his “jury” with distinction.

He played as solo cellist with the Philharmonia Orchestra Cincinnati, the Düsseldorf Ensemble, the Kammerphilharmonie Amadé and the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein. Karsten Dönneweg worked professionally in numerous project engagements, concert tours and temporary activities in radio an CD productions as a chamber music and orchestral freelance performer.

In 2007 Karsten Dönneweg decided to pursue his great passion, conducting, more intensively. To do this, he first wanted to learn the “craft” from scratch and began extensive private studies with Professor Michael Luig (Cologne University of Music). One year later he founded the “Black Forest Chamber Orchestra” as a festival ensemble of the Bergstadtsommer Music Festival in his hometown St. Georgen.  Here he can realize his musical ideas with outstanding musicians.

Recent recordings

Selection