Leon Berben
More than 25 times played this month
As a harpsichordist and organist, Léon Berben can be regarded as a master in his field. His extensive knowledge of music history and historical performance practices makes him one of the leading figures among musicians considered part of his generation of early music specialists. His repertoire primarily includes keyboard music composed between 1550 and 1790. He is a co-author of articles for Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart and also regularly writes for other professional journals. His interpretations are informed by intensive source studies and other in-depth research. Léon Berben's solo CD recordings have been highly praised by the international press and have frequently received awards, including the Diapason d’Or, Monde de la Musique's 'Choc', as well as the German Vierteljahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Léon Berben was born in 1970 in Heerlen, Limburg, and lives in Cologne.
He studied organ and harpsichord at the conservatories of Amsterdam and The Hague with, among others, Rienk Jiskoot, as the last student of Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, and Tini Mathot, and obtained the diploma of Performing Musician for both organ and harpsichord. Since the year 2000, he has been the harpsichordist of Musica Antiqua Köln, led by Reinhard Goebel, with whom he performed worldwide and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon / Archiv Produktion. Since the disbandment of the ensemble in late 2006, he has fully focused on his solo career, which has taken him to many internationally renowned music festivals, such as: Klavier Festival Ruhr, Festival de Saintes, Lucerne Festival, International Organ Festival Haarlem, Utrecht Early Music Festival, Bach Festival Montréal, Rheingau Musik Festival, Festival de Música Antiga de Barcelona.
As titular organist, he is associated with the historic organ of the St. Andreas Church in Ostönnen, where one of the originally oldest playable organs in the world is located (c. 1430/1721). In this role, he is also co-responsible for the concert series. As a harpsichordist, he is a member of Concerto Melante, an ensemble (on historical instruments) from the Berliner Philharmoniker.
