Praised by various critics for her ability to capture the audience through her mature artistic approach, extraordinary musicality and inimitable technique, Anzél Gerber is increasingly performing on internationally renowned stages.
Anzél Gerber’s art as cellist has been shaped by Russia’s most prominent teachers and soloists – all of whom were associates or students of Simeon Kozolupov and Mstislav Rostropovich. After her initial training in South Africa, her country of birth, she studied for three years under Alexander Fedortchenko, in Spain, and continued her studies at the Moscow State Conservatory under Alexander Kniazev. Later, as part of her PhD in Music Performance at the University of London, she pursued her studies under Russia’s legendary cello teacher, Natalia Shakhovskaya.
In the course of her training as musician, Gerber received guidance from David Geringas, Karine Georgian, Ralph Kirshbaum and Maxim Vengerov. She also attended master classes by Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Gutman, Heinrich Schiff, Bernard Greenhouse, Gary Hoffman, Maria Kliegel, Young-Chang Cho, Philippe Muller and Julius Berger.
As soloist she has collaborated with numerous conductors, including Gérard Korsten, Guido Ajmone-Marsan, Yasuo Shinozaki, Leslie B Dunner, Gordon Hunt and Robert Maxym. Gerber performed in the USA, Asia, Europe and Africa.
Gerber regularly performs with the renowned pianist Ben Schoeman. The duo received the “Baronessa Constanza Arezzo Giampiccolo di Donnafugata IBLA Award” as overall winners of the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition in Italy in 2012. In addition, they received a special “Debussy award” for their rendering of the Debussy sonata for cello and piano. The duo performed in Carnegie Hall (Weill), New York.
Apart from her performance career, Dr Gerber is a dedicated lecturer and researcher. She received her PhD in Music (Performance) from Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2008, with Prof. Alexander Ivashkin as supervisor. Her doctoral research entitled „Critical success factors in cello training“ is a comparative study on cello training in Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Her keen interest in the field of gifted music education, served as inspiration for her postdoctoral research entitled „Gifted music education: an international perspective“, at Temple University, Philadelphia in the United States of America from 2009 to 2010.
She regularly presents master classes in various countries. In 2009 she presented master classes at the Beijing Central Music Conservatory. She serves on the faculty and jury for the International Music Academy and Competition in Cremona, Italy, since 2013 and the Wiener Musikseminar, Vienna, Austria, since 2018. She will be presenting classes at the Academia Internacional de Música „Aquiles Delle Vigne“ from September 2023. Dr. Gerber is currently furthering her career in Europe.
She plays on a cello made by the Venetian violinmaker, Francesco Lazzaretti, in 1890.