Christian Elin

Christian Elin is one of the most sought-after saxophone players in Germany, performing with the most outstanding orchestras of his country, including Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestra, Bavarian State Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestras of the Bavarian and Hesse Broadcasting Stations, Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, as well as the Ensemble Modern/Frankfurt. In Switzerland, he appeared with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and the Basel Symphony Orchestra.

Up to present, he has worked with conductors like Sir Simon Rattle, Mariss Jansons, Zubin Mehta, Kirill Petrenko, Peter Eötvös, Hans Zender, Marco Letonja, Andris Poga, Robertas Servenikas, Domonkos Héjà, Johannes Kalitzke, Nicolas Krauze and many others. He appeared also on stage together with soloists like Lang Lang, Barbara Hannigan, Hakan Hardenberger, Rudolf Buchbinder, Sharon Kam, Simone Rubinio, Christian Lindberg and Reinhold Friedrich.

As a soloist he performed with the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra/Vilnius, Kammerphilharmonie Frankfurt, Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle Europe/Paris, Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, Sinfonia Concertante Bremen, Augsburger Kammerorchester and the German Military Band.

Christian Elin performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician at the most renowned international Music Festivals, including Ars Musica Brussels, Bregenz Festival, Schwetzingen Festival, Münchner Opernfestspiele, Händel-Festspiele Halle, Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Wien, Felsenreitschule Salzburg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, ZKM Karlsruhe, IRCAM Paris and many others.

He premiered dozens of new compositions for his instrument by composers like Enjott Schneider, Dieter Schnebel, Giya Kancheli, Hans Thomalla, Peter Michael Hamel, Helmut Lachenmann, Johannes Kalitzke, Minas Borboudakis and many others. As a composer, his music is played by interpreters like Kilian Herold, Maruan Sakas, Shen-ju Chang, Friederike Heumann, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse and was also played on the occasion of the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg in 2015.

His own music has been recorded up the present on four CDs under the Munich-based Label Raccanto. His latest CD Some kind of Blues with his own compositions has been praised by the press as "Highlight in the art of duo recital.", "Gorgeous recording" (FONO FORUM), "This duos conversations are universal" (hifi & records), "A discovery" (Jazzpodium).

He recorded furthermore a DVD with the opera Lulu by Alban Berg together with the Bavarian State Orchestra, a DVD with the film music Die Weber by Johannes Kalitzke, a DVD with music by Giacinto Scelsi and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, a CD with the music of Giacinto Scelsi and another one with music by Helmut Lachenmann again with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and finally the operetta Polnische Hochzeit by Joseph Beer with the Münchner Rundfunk-Orchestra.

Christian Elin was awarded several times First prize at the German Youth Music Competition "Jugend musiziert" as well as the Bavarian Young Artist's Award.

Since 2009, Christian Elin teaches saxophone at the Augsburg University, Germany.

Photo credit : Thomas Radlwimmer