Raimund Trenkler was born in 1962 and grew up in Berlin. After completing his cello studies in London, he took up the position of first solo cellist with the Seoul Symphony Orchestra in 1990. In 1991, he founded the Cellissimo ensemble of five cellists, with which he performed at international festivals worldwide.
A year later, together with Marta Casals Istomin – the widow of Pablo Casals – and Mstislav Rostropovich, he developed the idea of celebrating Pablo Casals and his message of universal humanity by bringing together musicians of all generations from across the globe in Kronberg to make music together and learn from one another. To this end, Raimund Trenkler and a group of private sponsors founded Kronberg Academy in February 1993.
Today at Kronberg Academy, the most renowned teachers in their fields train gifted young artists to become soloists in the disciplines of violin, viola, cello and piano. In so doing, the Academy sees its role as helping these young musicians to become the world’s best, whilst also assisting them to develop an awareness of their responsibility to society. On the initiative and under the direction of Raimund Trenkler, Kronberg Academy built the Casals Forum in Kronberg, a unique concert hall for an audience of around 550, and a new study and administration centre. The opening was celebrated as part of the Kronberg Festival 2022.
Raimund Trenkler is chairman of the board of the Kronberg Academy Foundation, as well as chair of the Rostropovich Cello Foundation and the Gidon Kremer Stiftung. He has regularly served, and continues to do so, on juries for many international violin, viola and cello competitions.
