Berlin-born cellist Johannes Przygodda made his debut with orchestra at the age of eight in the Berlin Philharmonie and since then has played as a soloist with orchestras such as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the German Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Badische Philharmonie, the State Orchestra Brandenburg and the Philharmonic Orchestra Baden- Baden, under the direction of Michael Sanderling, Heribert Beissel, Evan Christ, and Pavel Baleff, among others. A particular highlight was his debut under the direction of Maestro Christoph Eschenbach, performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto at the Kalamata Music Days Festival in 2022.

Chamber music is one of his greatest passions. He has performed at numerous festivals in various formations, including the Akoesticum Talent Programme in the Netherlands (broadcast internationally by Brava Television), the Hohenstaufen Chamber Music Academy, the Ravel Festival in France and the Podium Festival Esslingen. He is a founding member of the Quantum Clarinet Trio, with whom he regularly performs in the UK, Germany, Italy, and France. The ensemble won third prize at the 2020 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA and has been selected as Artists in Residence at the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme in the UK for the 2024/25 season.

In autumn 2023, the ensemble released its debut CD, produced by Deutschlandfunk Kultur, on the Hänssler label, featuring works by Brahms, Frühling, and Kahn. In addition to numerous radio broadcasts (including RBB, Radio Bremen, France Musique, and Ö1), the album received widespread critical acclaim, including 5-star reviews from Pizzicato magazine and Fono Forum. It was also selected as “Classical Choice” by Charlotte Gardner in the dCS column in January 2024 and nominated for the Opus Klassik award in the category “Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year 2024.”

The trio has performed at prestigious venues including the Museo Teatrale alla Scala in Milan, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Società del Quartetto in Bergamo, Grafenegg in Austria, the Schönberg Hall in The Hague, the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, and the University of Oxford.

Johannes founded the Musikfest Barnim, a concert series in his hometown, with a sold out launch concert in 2025.

In 2022, he performed with the Deutsch Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Maestro Paavo Järvi on their tour of Europe and Asia, and he is a frequent substitute cellist with the Opéra de Paris and the Kammerakademie Potsdam, as well as a guest principal cellist with the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim.

Johannes Przygodda was first-prize winner of several national and international competitions, including the national cello competition “Jugend Musiziert” (together with two special prizes) and the International Dotzauer-Competition. He was also semifinalist at the International Lutoslawski Competition in Warsaw (2013) and was supported by the “Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben” with the loan of an instrument for several years. Johannes received the "Werner Stiefel Prize" as well as additional sponsorship awards for his outstanding achievements at the Carl Flesch Academy and was a scholarship holder of the "Live Music Now" associations in Salzburg and Berlin. In 2018, he received the sponsorship award of the Ravel Academy in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, sponsored by the Lions and Rotary Clubs.

Johannes received his first cello lesson at the age of five. Two years later he became a “Jungstudent” (Precollege) at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin. Among his teachers were Sabine Andert, Josef Schwab and Stephan Forck at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin, and Clemens Hagen at the University “Mozarteum“ in Salzburg. In 2020, he completed his master’s degree with highest distinction under Jérôme Pernoo at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, and in 2025, he likewise finished his Konzertexamen with top marks under Tristan Cornut at the Hochschule für Musik Stuttgart. Other very important musical mentors were Wolfgang Boettcher and Heinrich Schiff. In addition to his studies, he has attended masterclasses with Gary Hoffman, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Jens Peter Maintz, David Geringas and Frans Helmerson, among others.

Johannes Przygodda plays a cello by Ragnar Hayn, built in 2010 and a bow by Eugène Sartory from 1911.

Due to his interest in politics, Johannes studied Law at the Humboldt- University Berlin between 2015 and 2016, in addition to his main studies in music, and is currently pursuing a political science, sociology, and public administration degree at the FernUniversität in Hagen.

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