Markus Becker

German pianist Markus Becker studied under Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and received guidance from Alfred Brendel. In 1987 he claimed first prize at the International Brahms Competition held in Hamburg. His programs span repertoire from the Baroque era through contemporary works and extend into jazz. He appears regularly at prominent festivals such as the Ruhr Piano Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and Kissinger Sommer. Orchestral engagements have included the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and numerous additional ensembles. Since 1993 Becker has held a professorship at the Hanover Academy for Music, Theatre, and Media while also delivering lectures at the International Music Academy for Soloists in Hanover. On the Thorofon label he committed the complete piano output of Max Reger to disc, an undertaking honored with the German Record Prize in 2000. Additional recordings have appeared on CPO, Dreyer-Gaido, Hyperion, and other imprints.