Portrait

Caterina Lichtenberg was born in Sofia (Bulgaria). She commenced her studies in Magdeburg and finished them with distinction in the fields of mandolin and guitar at the Cologne Academy of Music under the guidance of Prof. Wilden-Hüsgen and Prof. Eickholt.

She is the first-prize winner of numerous national and international music competitions and was a scholarship holder at the Richard Wagner Foundation.

Apart from her duo work with Mirko Schrader (Duetto Giocondo), she concertises as a soloist and also performs in other chamber music settings, e.g., together with Thomas Müller-Pering (guitar; Germany); John Dearman (guitar; USA), Silke Lisko (Duo Galante), Brigitte Engelhard (cembalo; Austria), Mike Marshall (Mandolin; USA), the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (USA) and orchestras such as the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, the Aachen Chamber Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the members of the Ensemble Recherche, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. A joint appearance with Art Garfunkel at a TV show complements her artistic work.

Apart from radio and television appearances, Caterina Lichtenberg has undertaken large concert tours through almost entire Europe as well as through the USA, Canada, Mongolia and Japan.

Numerous compositions have been written for her and for Duetto Giocondo. The corresponding music editions have been published by: Zimmermann, GVH, V & F, Mel Bay.

Caterina Lichtenberg is a sought-after artist and lecturer at national and international festivals and master classes. She was, for example, invited as a guest to perform at the International Mandolin Festival in Kobe (Japan), at the International Mandolin Convention in Washington and Minneapolis (USA), and at the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy (Canada). She has also performed in concert with the European Plucked String Orchestra in Logroño (Spain) and Bologna (Italy) as well as at the Nürtingen Guitar Festival.

She is regularly invited as a juror to national and international music competitions.

9 CD recordings of Caterina Lichtenberg are available so far.

Since the winter semester of 2002/2003, Caterina Lichtenberg has conducted a mandolin course at the Cologne University of Music, Wuppertal Campus. During the winter semester 2007/2008 she was appointed to the position of Professor at the Cologne University of Music, and currently holds the sole Professorship of Mandolin in the whole of Europe.

Photo: Gary Payne