Born in 1935 in Berlin. Studied with Richard Klemm and Maurice Gendron. Wolfgang Boettcher began his career winning the ARD Competition in Munich forming a duet with his sister the pianist Ursula Trede. As a soloist, he has concretised worldwide with many prestigious orchestras and famous conductors. Particularly noteworthy have been his collaborations with Herbert von Karajan, Sergiu Celebidache, Witold Lutoslawski and Daniel Barenboim. Wolfgang Boettcher has performed in the Vienna and Berlin "Festwochen", Salzburg Festival, Paris Marais Festival, The English Bach Festival, etc. and in numerous other festivals throughout the world.
Member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra since 1958,from 1963 until 1976 as Principal cello. He left this position in order to dedicate himself completely to his solo career and to assume the position of professor at the Hochschule der Kunste Berlin. His studio has produced many very prominent cellists active in the international music scene today, among them, Wen-Sian Yong, 1st solo cellist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and six cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra today...
Alongside his solo activities, Wolfgang Boettcher devotes a substantial amount of time to chamber music. He plays in a duo with his sister Ursula Trede, with the violinist Ulf Hoelscher and is a member of the Brandis Quartet. He has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and others, and gives masterclasses in Europe, URRS and Japan.
He is a member of the Bavarian Fine Arts Academy in Munich since 1988. In addition, from 1986 to 1992 he was music director of the Hitzacker Summer Music Weeks. Many composers have written works for Wolfgang Boettcher: Among other works, he has premiered the Double Concerto by Aribert Reimann with Ulf Hoelscher and second Cello Concerto by Giselher Klebe with the Berlin Philharmonic directed by Daniel Baremboim.