Xenia Löffler

The German historical-instrument scene has long featured Baroque oboist Xenia Löffler in multiple capacities, whether appearing as soloist, serving as principal oboist with the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, or directing her Amphion Wind Octet; she has simultaneously maintained a significant role as educator. Erlangen, Bavaria, was the site of her birth in 1972. Exposure to a John Eliot Gardiner recording of Bach on her initial stereo purchase in 1990 ignited her commitment to the Baroque oboe. She pursued advanced studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel and continued at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Several fellow students from Basel joined her in establishing the Amphion Wind Octet during 1998; the ensemble has since issued nine albums and performed at numerous European festivals. Participation in the touring edition of Gardiner’s English Baroque Soloists in 2000 marked a decisive step, as she took part in the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage that presented the cantatas at locations tied to their creation. The next year brought membership in the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, one of Germany’s leading period-instrument ensembles, where she advanced to principal oboist. Additional solo engagements have included appearances with the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, Prague’s Collegium 1704, and the Händel-Festspielorchester in Halle. Since 2004 she has held a teaching position at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen and regularly conducts master classes throughout Germany and elsewhere. Her discography has centered on lesser-known works for Baroque oboe, beginning with a 2014 Accent album devoted to compositions by the brothers Johann Gottlieb Graun and Carl Heinrich Graun; she followed this with an Accent collection of Bach oboe concertos in 2018 and appeared the subsequent year on a Harmonia Mundi recording of Bach repertoire alongside violinist Isabelle Faust.