Christian Erben

Christian Erben, born in Leipzig in 1959, grew up in a family of musicians. His father, a solo cellist, and his mother, a piano lecturer, often practiced together at home, exposing him to a wide range of musical literature from an early age. Starting cello lessons at eight, followed by piano lessons, he displayed remarkable talent, winning the first prize at the Bach Competition for Students and Youth in Leipzig in 1975. From this time onwards, he also played music with his parents and siblings (flute, violin) in the evenings of the “Stunde der Musik”, a GDR-wide concert series.

This allowed him to gain his first performance experience for further musical development. Subsequently, he pursued formal studies, first in Berlin with Bernhard Günther and Josef Schwab and later in Leipzig with his father, Friedemann Erben, where he earned his degree. Christian Erben then took up positions as a solo cellist in theaters in Bautzen and Cottbus, furthering his studies with Jürnjakob Timm. Since 1989, he has been a member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Christian Erben’s primary focus is chamber music with piano. He co-founded the Leipzig Piano Quartet and performs with the piano trio “Notturno” alongside his wife, pianist Ute Erben. Their performances grace venues such as the Gewandhaus, Mendelssohn House, and Schumann House, as well as stages across Germany. Additionally, he has recorded a CD featuring arrangements of orchestral works by Mendelssohn Bartholdy for violin, cello, and piano for four hands.

The musician plays on a cello from the workshop of George Panormo, built in 1840 in London.

Picture: Gerd Mothes