Music

From the clarinet to the cloud: how music and IT complement each other for me

I have a second past that is just as formative for me as my current work as a business app consultant. As a professional classical musician with a degree in clarinet from the University of Music in Augsburg and the University of Music and Dance in Cologne, I have spent years performing music in as many facets and timbres as possible and always with the greatest passion. With the same passion and precision, I now support companies in successfully implementing digital solutions.

Why do they go together? Music and IT have more in common than you might think at first glance: structured thinking, creativity, precision and the ability to inspire people. Both require a deep understanding of complex systems, the ability to work together and the perseverance to keep improving. For me personally, these two worlds are united by my unbridled fascination for both.

Current concerts

Making music is still an important part of my life. That’s why I still try to play concerts regularly. I particularly love playing with large orchestras and so most of my concerts today take place together with the two orchestras ‘Junges Ensemble Berlin’ and ‘Junge Sinfonie Berlin’ in the Berlin Philharmonie.

Fin de Siècle

Sunday, 15 June 2025, 3:30 pm
Philharmonie Berlin, large hall
Lili Boulanger: D’un matin de printemps
César Franck: Le chasseur maudit
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ Symphony
Junges Ensemble Berlin | Symphony Orchestra
Michael Riedel | Direction

Website: to the Junges Ensemble Berlin

“I have given everything I could give here” were Camille Saint-Saëns’ words for his 3rd Symphony, which is known today as the ‘Organ Symphony’.

Composed in 1886, the work impressively combines the sonority of a large orchestra with the majestic sound of an organ, which does not stand out as a soloist but blends seamlessly into the overall sound. Saint-Saëns also broke new formal ground: instead of clearly separated movements, the sections flow into one another and develop a dense network of related themes. Despite its monumentality, the symphony retains the elegance and lightness of French Romanticism – and builds to one of the most impressive climaxes of Romantic symphonic music in the finale.

Lili Boulanger, one of the most extraordinary composers of the early 20th century, strikes a completely different note. Growing up in a famous Parisian family of musicians, she was the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome – a triumph in a male-dominated musical world. Despite a serious illness, she wrote works of breathtaking maturity and sensitivity. D’un matin de printemps, composed in 1917, is a luminous sound picture of a spring morning, impressionistically floating and yet characterized by deep emotionality. Boulanger’s early death at the age of 24 silenced a voice that is still considered one of the greatest lost treasures in music history.

With Le chasseur maudit, César Franck takes the audience into the dark world of an old legend. The symphonic poem, composed in 1882, depicts the punishment of a wicked man who blows his horn to hunt on a holy Sunday and is then eternally pursued by demons. Powerful brass fanfares and a dramatic structure lend the work a powerful narrative force – a masterpiece of French program music between Romanticism and Symbolism.

In Action

Tiberiu Olah – Sonata for Clarinet solo

The ‘Sonata for Clarinet Solo’ by Tiberiu Olah is a technically and musically demanding work that impressively emphasises the versatility and expressiveness of the clarinet. Written by one of the most important Romanian composers of the 20th century, the composition with its intense musical dialogue demands the utmost precision and concentration from the performer.

The contrasting sections in particular, which range from whispering pianissimo passages to powerful dynamic outbursts, present an enormous challenge. The combination of complex rhythmic structures, expressive melodies and Olah’s subtly incorporated folk music influence demands technical skill and musical depth from the player, making the work a real masterclass even for experienced clarinettists.

Junges Ensemble Berlin – Portrait 2023

In the RBB (Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg) Abendschau Advent Calendar 2023, the reporters presented their places of power – places where they recharge their batteries, recharge their energy and feel good.

My dear clarinet colleague and Abendschau reporter Leonie Schwarzer takes us to a Shostakovich rehearsal and shows us why classical music is not dusty, but rather the ‘great love’ for the musicians – and why the Junge Ensemble Berlin is about so much more than making music together.

If you want to hear more, you can find a few more videos on my YouTube channel.