Albrecht Mayer in an interview

"The number of unreported cases is enormous."

Albrecht Mayer, as a soloist, chamber musician, and principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic, is one of the most sought-after oboists of our time.

Classicpoint.ch: Why and when did you decide to play the oboe?
In Bamberg, where I grew up, there was a critical shortage of oboists in the youth orchestra. My father was a doctor and was asked if he knew anyone. He arranged for two oboes and brought them home. There, he placed them on the kitchen table and announced to my brother and me that we would now be learning this instrument. That's how we began to learn and love the instrument. My brother, however, no longer plays.

You once said in an interview that the word "talent" is extremely overrated and only accounts for perhaps five percent of success. What, in your opinion, is the key to a global career?
A global career is fundamentally impossible to plan. But in fact, great talent alone is of no help. I know very few highly talented musicians, like Lang Lang, Sarah Chang, or Evgeny Kissin. However, there are many musicians of average talent who have achieved great success. Ultimately, what's crucial is that a musician doesn't give up, always wants to develop further, never stands still, cultivates a passion, and is also willing to push themselves to the limit.

You joined the Berlin Philharmonic in the early 1990s. What were those first years like?
It was still the Karajan Orchestra with its long-established colleagues. I remember it being very difficult for me to find my place in this tradition-steeped organization. There was absolutely no room for discussion. You simply had to do what the maestro and the experienced colleagues told you to do.

How do you experience the orchestra today?
The atmosphere in the orchestra is good, but it's not easy, because democracy in the orchestra, and in music in general, is unfortunately not possible. The stronger voices always prevail with their ideas and visions. I remember rehearsing a wind octet with wonderful artists like Sabine Meyer. We had the idea that everyone should present all their ideas about the piece, and then we would try to bring them all together. We failed miserably. When too many different visions come together, the lowest common denominator is unimaginative and boring.

Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle have a completely different leadership style than Karajan did. Are there any famous conductors with an authoritarian demeanor left today?
Of course, for example, Barenboim or Thielemann. However, their numbers are dwindling.

Doesn't an orchestra unite against the conductor if he becomes too authoritarian?
Yes, that can certainly happen. Young conductors can't afford to behave that way. Established, world-renowned conductors, however, simply move on and don't return. That's why it works so much better with them.

Which deceased composer would you most like to hear write a work for solo oboe and orchestra?
That's a very difficult question. There's a solo concerto by Beethoven that's lost. I'd be very interested in that concerto, or perhaps a work by Brahms, Schumann, or Tchaikovsky.

What about contemporary music? Are you a strong advocate for current works featuring the oboe as a solo instrument?
Yes, absolutely! I try to motivate composers to write new pieces. Heinz Holliger, of course, has already done an incredible amount for the oboe. I enjoy playing contemporary works and am always open to new compositions. For example, I just performed a concerto by Peter Ruzicka and will be playing the Concertino by the Swiss composer Gotthard Odermatt .

In October 2011, you founded the Albrecht Mayer Foundation, which supports research and the development of therapies for retinal and optic nerve diseases. How did that come about?
A friend of mine, Franz Badura (a trumpeter), is almost blind and regularly attends my concerts. When he once spoke to me about his illness and asked if we could do something together, it turned out that this disease also runs in my family. The number of unreported cases is enormous. Many people don't even know they have the predisposition. With the foundation, we support research and the development of therapies.

What does Albrecht Mayer do in his free time when he's not playing the oboe?
I have a bicycle collection and I'm a passionate road cyclist. I also enjoy diving, as far as my ears allow. I just got back from a diving holiday in Madeira.

Interview by Florian Schär | Classicpoint.ch | August 8, 2013
Image: Decca / Mat Hennek

Next concerts

09/05/2026 - Bach Weeks Thun: Bach Trinity
05/09/2026 - Bach Weeks Thun: Bach Trinity