Christian Geldsetzer

Christian Geldsetzer began double bass lessons with his father and was accepted as a junior student at the age of 14 into the class of Prof. Paul Breuer at the Cologne University of Music. Forty years later, he returned to the Gürzenich Orchestra as principal bassist—taking over the position once held by his former teacher.

Early in his career, he won several prizes at the national competition Jugend musiziert and was a finalist in the German Music Competition. His studies took him to Berlin, Essen, and London, where he trained with renowned professors including Duncan McTier.

What began as a year abroad in London turned into a 30-year musical journey in the UK. He played with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before joining the Philharmonia Orchestra London in 1997, becoming associate principal bass in 2003. His work included international tours and recordings for major film scores such as Harry Potter and Fantasia 2000.

As a guest principal, he has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and at opera houses in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Berlin. He also appeared as a section player with the Berlin Philharmonic.

In addition to his orchestral work, he is an active chamber musician, co-founding the Gutenberg Ensemble. He has performed at international festivals including Salzburg, Hitzacker, and Aldeburgh.