When the subject turns to oboists, his name is now de rigueur - Albrecht Mayer. His playing has both listeners and critics raving, with expressions like “divine spark” or the “miraculous oboe” that the German player has elevated to become an “instrument of seduction”. He studied with Gerhard Scheuer, Georg Meerwein, Maurice Bourgue and Ingo Goritzki and began his professional career in 1990 as principal oboist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Since 1992 he has occupied the same position with the Berlin Phiharmonic. It’s no wonder that Albrecht Mayer ranks today among the most sought-after oboists and has appeared as a soloist with Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Along with his solo projects, Mayer considers it important to find time for chamber music. He has no dearth of requests and opportunities, and performs regularly with partners such as the pianist Hélène Grimaud, Leif Ove Andsnes and the bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, with whom he recorded a CD of Bach cantatas.
In his search for new repertoire for his instrument, he is constantly fascinated by the idea of lending his voice (that of the oboe) to “foreign” works — pieces written for other instruments or for singers. Having sung as a child for many years in the Bamberg Cathedral Choir, he is especially attracted to the human voice, as the most “natural” of all instruments. He’s already provided convincing proof of that claim in the recording Lieder ohne Worte — Bach transcriptions for oboe and orchestra, in which the Baroque style and bel canto are delightfully combined. The CD immediately entered the German classical charts at number 2. His CD In search of Mozart recorded with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra made it to the top of the German classical charts, the recording New Seasons presents music by George Frideric Handel in a stunning new light. In August 2008, the oboist’s latest album In Venice was released by Decca, featuring Baroque oboe concertos from Venetian composers. A new CD with works by J.S. Bach will be released by Decca in autumn 2009.
Albrecht Mayer has been elected “Instrumentalist of the Year“ and was rewarded with an ECHO Klassik Prize by the German Phono-Akademie in 2004 and 2008; in December 2006 Albrecht Mayer was awarded the E.T.A.-Hoffmann Prize by his German hometown Bamberg.
Albrecht Mayer plays an oboe and oboe d'amore by Mönnig (oboe model "Albrecht Mayer" www.moennig-adler.de).
