Wolf Sebastian was born in Berlin, Germany, as the son of two professional musicians, and began playing the cello at the age of six. His early achievements garnered top awards at the German National Young Artists music competitions. At seventeen, he made his solo debut at Philharmonic Hall in Berlin. Two years later, Wolf was accepted into the master class of world-renowned cellist Janos Starker at Indiana University. After graduation, Mr. Sebastian held an associate principal post at the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. For the next five years, he performed under the world’s leading conductors and toured Europe and the Far East. Also during this time, Wolf attended two seminars given by maestro Sergiu Celibidache, who shaped his ideas on the deeper interpretation and meaning of music.

 

Upon immigrating to the United States, Mr. Sebastian held a number of teaching positions across the country. After his arrival in Los Angeles, he was chosen to receive the coveted Hammer/Rostropovich award that led him to complete the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California in 1993.

 

Wolf Sebastian can best be described as one of the most versatile musicians in the music industry today. His thirtyfive years of professional experience has taken him from playing solo recitals, chamber concerts, performing in operas and musicals, leading the cello sections of numerous orchestras – to playing on more than seven hundred motion picture and television soundtracks. Many of these film scores were recorded on soundstages at MGM, Sony, Paramount and the Twentieth Century Fox studio lots. (For a complete list, click on Motion Pictures.)

 

More specifically, Wolf has performed with LA Opera, LA Master Chorale, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, Ventura Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Festival, Santa Fe Opera and at the Grammys, Emmys, and American Music Awards.

 

Dr. Sebastian has toured the United States and Hawaii as a member of the Viklarbo Chamber Ensemble and premiered many newly commissioned solo and chamber works.  He also performed and toured with a variety of top entertainers including Christina Aguilera, Beck, Garth Brooks, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr., Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Madonna, Liza Minelli, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Rod Stewart and Barbra Streisand.

 

His solo and chamber music recordings can be heard on Efficaci Records, Raptoria Cam, Harmonia Mundi, and the Sony Classical labels.

 

Wolf Sebastian calls himself an ambassador of classical music, and is equally at home in concert halls as on lecture tours, which have taken him throughout the United States and  Mexico.