Biographical Info

Heribert Koch was born in near Cologne, Germany, from a German father and a French mother. Beyond the piano, he received an early musical education on the organ, the clarinet and the double bass. He studied at the Universities (Musikhochschulen) in Cologne (with Klaus Oldemeyer) and Karlsruhe (with Günter Reinhold). Additional studies in London with Peter Feuchtwanger whom he frequently served as an assistant in his masterclasses had a major impact on his artistic development. Masterclasses with renowned musicians like Tatiana Nikolaeva and Mieczyslaw Horszowski contributed to his further education.

His performing activities comprise solo recitals and orchestra concerts with pieces from the standard repertoire as well as many lesser known works or composers which he often performs in the form of lecture recitals.

Heribert Koch’s pedagogic work has been internationally acclaimed and beyond regular students, an increasing number of well-established professionals are seeking his advice. Many of his students have been successful in competitions and are pursuing an international career. He often gives lectures on pedagogical themes in the framework of international conferences. He is regularly invited to serve as an adjudicator on international competitions and he gave numerous masterclasses in many countries. Heribert Koch currently holds a teaching position at the University (Musikhochschule) of Münster, Germany.

As an editor he has worked on writings and compositions of Carl Reinecke and César Franck in particular, including several first editions of hitherto unknown works.

In 2007 Heribert Koch became a member of Presidium of EPTA Germany and was appointed EPTA European President in 2012/13 and 2019/20.