Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt belongs to one of the most preeminent cellists of his generation. Early on during his studies with David Geringas and Aldo Parisot, he made his mark at international competitions. He thus garnered the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris and the Prize for Contemporary Music at the Rostropovitch Competition chaired by the maestro himself. Schmidt then went on to win the German Music Competition in Bonn und the International Australian Cello Competition in New Zealand. He is a prize winner of the esteemed International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and International Leonard Rose Cello Competition in the US.
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt has performed as a soloist throughout Europe, Russia and the US with renowned ensembles such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Radiophilharmonie des NDR, Sinfonia Varsovia, Baltimore and Houston Symphony Orchestras or the Philharmonia Prague. Concerts under acclaimed conductors like Charles Dutoit, Marek Janowski, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Jiri Belohlavek, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Sanderling, Fabrice Bollon and many others paved his career.
Schmidt is a sought-after guest performer at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Rheingau-Music Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, where he appeared alongside Christoph Eschenbach. His passion for chamber music has led him to concerts with outstanding artists such as Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, Nikolaj Znaider, Leonidas Kavakos, Miriam Fried and David Shifrin. Furthermore, he was a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and forms the cello duo “Cello Duello” with Jens Peter Maintz.
Past seasons have seen Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Berlin Philharmonie, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie am Gasteig, Herkulessaal München, Kennedy Center Washington, Carnegie and Alice Tully Hall N. Y., Theatre de Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Wigmore Hall London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo as well as the Rudolfinum Prague. In 2001, Sony Classical released his CD “French Impressions”, in 2004 his highly acclaimed recording of Prokofiev´s cello concerto. Last year, the cello concertos by Schumann and Elgar appeared at the same label. Capriccio released Bloch´s “Voice in the Wilderness” with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt plays a cello by Matteo Gofriller which formerly belonged to Hugo Becker.