Jacob Kellermann

Jacob Kellermann is one of Scandinavia's most visible and versatile guitarists, with a varied repertory of concertos, solo works, and chamber music. He has a strong commitment to contemporary music and has collaborated with various composers on new works. Kellermann was born in Stockholm in 1984. He took up the guitar at age eight. Kellermann began his studies in Sweden, went on for further work in Spain and the Netherlands, and earned a Meisterklass Diplom at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich in 2011, studying with Franz Halasz. Kellermann has appeared frequently at top Swedish venues and also has a long résumé of international appearances at halls, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Brucknerhaus Linz, and the Seoul Art Center, performing with many Swedish orchestras, the London Philharmonic, and the Incheon Philharmonic, among other groups. As of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, he had engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orquesta de Valencia (Spain), and the Israel Contemporary Players on the books. Kellermann has accompanied both singers and string players, appearing around Europe and in several East Asian countries in this capacity. Kellermann has expanded the guitar repertory in two ways: he has made numerous transcriptions and has collaborated with composers, including Sofia Gubaidulina, Jose M. Sanchez-Verdu, and Francisco Coll, on new works. Kellermann has premiered contemporary guitar concertos with the BIT20 Bergen and Norrbotten NEO ensembles, and he is a co-founder of the New European Ensemble in the Netherlands. With violinist Daniel Migdal, Kellermann is a member of Duo KeMi, which has toured widely. With Migdal, Kellermann issued an album of Schubert violin (and arpeggione) sonatas transcribed for violin and guitar on the BIS label in 2018. He returned in 2021 with a BIS recording of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Coll's Turia concerto. ~ James Manheim