Marcel Johannes Kits
May 2, 1995Member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians
Marcel Johannes Kits is one of the best-known and most prominent cellists in Estonia, who has won numerous prizes at both domestic and foreign competitions and performed in several prestigious concert halls such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Berlin’s Pierre Boulez Hall, Berliner Philharmoniker, Munich Prinzregententheater, Bucharest Ateneul, Moscow Conservatory, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Theater.
Marcel Johannes Kits began his cello studies at the age of 5 with Lembi Mets and Reet Mets. He continued his studies at the Tallinn Music High School, where his cello teachers were Laine Leichter and Mart Laas. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2018 from the Trossingen University of Music, Germany, under the supervision of Prof. Francis Gouton and continues his master’s program at the Berlin University of the Arts with Prof. Jens Peter Maintz. He has participated in master classes of László Fenyö, Wen-Sinn Yang, Jan-Erik Gustafsson, Marko Ylönen, Maria Kliegel, Jens-Peter Maintz, David Geringas and others. In 2017, he was selected for the masterclass of Steven Isserlis at the IMS Prussia Cove, and in 2010–2014, he received a full scholarship to attend the Astona International Summer Academy in Switzerland.
Marcel Johannes Kitse’s competition achievements include 1st prize at the George Enescu International Competition in Romania (2018), 1st prize and two special prizes at the Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria (2016), 1st prize at the Estonian String Players Competition in Tallinn (2015), main prize at the Trossingen University of Music Competition (2015), 1st and 2nd prizes at the International Karl Davidov Cello Competition in Kuldīga (Latvia, 2006 and 2012), 2nd prize at the August Dombrovskis International Competition in Riga (2008 and 2011) and 2nd prize at the cello competition in Liezen (Austria, 2004). He is also the winner of the popular TV competition „Classic Stars“ for young musicians on Estonian Television (2013). In 2019, he reached the semi-finals of the prestigious ARD competition in Germany.
As a soloist, Marcel Johannes Kits has appeared not only with Estonian orchestras (the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, Estonian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra) but also with many foreign orchestras such as the Südwestdeutsches Kammerochester Pforzheim, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, Karlsruhe University Symphony Orchestra, Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic Orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Kymi Sinfonietta, Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra, Moscow State Chamber Orchestra, Novosibirsk Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan), Euro Symphony SFK (Slovenia) and George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania). He has collaborated with many well-known conductors, including Ville Matvejeff, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Vassili Sinaisky, Yuwon Kim, Arvo Volmer, Mihkel Kütson, Jüri Alperten, Olari Elts, Tõnu Kaljuste, Mikk Murdvee, Andres Mustonen, Risto Joost, and others.
As an active chamber musician, Marcel Johannes Kits has performed with many outstanding musicians. He collaborates closely with the Estonian younger generation pianists Sten Heinoja and Rasmus Andreas Raide, with whom he has given concerts in several places in Estonia, as well as at the Pierre Boulez Concert Hall and the Berlin Konzerthaus. He is a member of the piano trio Trio 95’ since the age of nine and string quartet M4GNET, founded in 2020. He regularly plays chamber music with violinists Winfried Rademacher, Christian Ostertag, Christel Lee, Marina Chiche and her twin sister Katariina Maria Kits.
Marcel Johannes Kits has participated in the recording of the children’s song CD by Arvo Pärt (2015) and the chamber music CDs of the year of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben in Germany (2016, 2017, 2018).
Marcel Johannes Kits has received a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians, a scholarship „Live and Shine” from the Estonian Cultural Endowment (2019) and the PLMF Fund prize "Young Music" (2022). In 2019, he was named the „Artist of the Year“ of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians.
Marcel Johannes Kits performs on a cello made by Francesco Ruggier in Cremona in 1674 and a bow made by Victor Fétique around 1900, both kindly on loan by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
Hompage of Marcel Johannes Kits
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