Prof. Bernhard Klapprott

Bernhard Klapprott studied in Cologne and Amsterdam harpsichord with Hugo Ruf and Bob van Asperen, organ with Michael Schneider and Ewald Kooiman as well as church music, and in regular master classes continuo playing with Jesper Christensen and organ with Michael Radulescu.

He performs internationally as a harpsichordist, clavichordist, organist and conductor. His discography mainly documents original keyboard instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries and includes, among others, the complete keyboard music by Tomkins (harpsichord, virginal, organ), sonatas by Benda (clavichord), South German and Italian keyboard music around 1600 (clavicytherium and harpsichord), J.S. Bach Concerti for 3 and 4 harpsichords with Melante Amsterdam, part of the complete recording on organs built by A. and J.A. Silbermann, English Suites (in prep.). Several of his CDs have been awarded the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the ECHO KLASSIK.

A further focus is on the rediscovery and performance of unknown church music of the 17th and 18th centuries, especially from Central Germany. With the ensemble Cantus Thuringia & Capella, founded by him and Christoph Dittmar, he presented a series of CD premiere recordings of cantatas, passions, oratorios and masses by Rothe, Zachow, Keiser, Händel, Stölzel, Kellner, Gebel and C.Ph.E. Bach. He was also conductor of several productions of stage works, which were performed with historical acting.

Bernhard Klapprott teaches harpsichord / early keyboard instruments at the University of the Arts Bremen (1994 to 2001 and since 2025). Since 1994, he has been professor for harpsichord / early keyboard instruments at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar. His teaching activities led him to the universities of music in Detmold and Herford as well as to master classes and guest lectures in Europe and the U.S. He published articles on topics of performance practice, particularly those concerning the clavichord.

In addition to his preoccupation with early music, he has composed several works, which have been partly published by Bärenreiter-Verlag (contemporary music series). Since 2024 he has been the artistic director of the international summer concerts on the renowned North German Baroque organ built by Gerhard von Holy (1711) in the St. Bartholomew´s Church in Dornum (East Frisia). In 1991, he was awarded 1st prize at the 10th International Organ Competition (Bach/Mozart) at the Festival van Vlaanderen in Bruges.