Reinhard Latzko is one of the most multifaceted cellists of his generation. In addition to his extensive performing career, he has especially made a name for himself as a successful cello teacher and music communicator. Born in Freising, near Munich, he studied with Jan Polasek, Martin Ostertag and Heinrich Schiff. From 1987 - 2003 Reinhard Latzko was solo cellist of the Südwestfunk Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gielen.
Teaching has been one of the special focal points in his artistic career, already since 1990, when he was tutor in the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. From 1988 - 2005 he took over Boris Pergamenschikow's cello class at the Music Academy in Basel. Since 2003 he has held a professorship at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. His students include prize winners of international competitions and hold leading positions in orchestras around the world. World-wide masterclasses underscore Reinhard Latzko's international status as one of the most sought-after instructors.
Since October 2016 he additionally is Senior Lecturer for chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz.
Reinhard Latzko is himself a winner of national and international competitions, performing as soloist as well as chamber music partner, with Markus Schirmer, Christian Tetzlaff, Ernst Kovacic, Christian Altenburger, Christopher Hinterhuber. He has performed in concert halls world-wide, including the Musikverein as well as Konzerthaus in Vienna, Shanghai Concert Hall, Philharmonie in Berlin, among others. He has also been invited to the Cello Biennale in Amsterdam, the Shanghai Cello Festival and the Supercello Festival in Peking. Reinhard Latzko has performed as soloist with the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Südwestfunk Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Wiener Kammerorchester and the Camerata Salzburg. His thorough exploration into comtemporary music has resulted in world premieres of works, including those by Wolfgang Rihm, Ernst Krenek and Michael Gielen.
Reinhard Latzko is artistic director of the chamber music festival "con anima" in Ernstbrunn.
For several years Reinhard Latzko has put his stamp on a new and innovative form of orchestra leading, working with Ensemble Resonanz in Hamburg and Het Balletorkest in Amsterdam, among others.
He students have won several international prizes, such as ARD Munich, CIEM Geneva, the Tschaikowski Competition in Moscow, Lutoslawski Competition in Warsaw. Former students include, among others, soloists such as Istvan Vardai, Luka Sulic. Many students have gone on to hold positions in orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gürzenich Orchestra in the Cologne Opera, Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra in Moscow.
