Background Information
Marcel Bergmann was born in Munich and started piano lessons at the age of six. From this early age, he showed a keen interest in improvising and composing and subsequently played in different bands during his teenage years. He studied musicology at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universitaet in Munich, piano at the Hochschule fuer Musik and Theater in Hannover, and pursued specialized studies in duo piano in Montreal.
For the two decades, Marcel has enjoyed an active musical career as a performer, composer, and teacher. Over the past decade, he has been involved as composer and musical director in a number of theatre, cabaret and multimedia projects in Germany.
In 1990, Marcel and his wife Elizabeth started to work and perform extensively as a duo piano team. They were winners of the 1993 Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. Since then they have developed a successful career which has taken them to many parts of the world. This collaboration has inspired numerous compositions and arrangements for two pianos and piano duet, many of which have been recorded. In addition, Bergman has also created works involving two pianos and other instruments, such as the Culemborg City Soundscape, a collaboration with Jeroen Van Veen, premiered in The Netherlands. Frequent collaborations have led to a multitude of chamber music, ranging from duo to sextet.
Currently at the faculty of Mount Royal College, in Calgary, Canada, Marcel has also been involved in the Banff Centre for the Arts. He and his wife live in Calgary.
In 2005, Marcel Bergman was commissioned with the new work for the 10th Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. It is entitled “Urban Pulse”.
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