Dr Clemens Goldberg – The founder’s curriculum vitae
1967–1978: Attended the Freie Waldorfschule Freiburg
1973–1978: Admitted to the gifted program at the State University of Music in Freiburg; cello master class with Prof. Christoph Henkel
1979–1980: Civilian service
1980–81: Studied musicology, philosophy, and Indology at the University of Freiburg
1981: University of Basel
1981–82: Studied in Paris at the Sorbonne and the École Pratique des Hautes Études
1982–85: University of Heidelberg, where he earned his doctorate in musicology under Prof. Ludwig Finscher
1985–87: Visiting professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook with a Feodor Lynen Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
1987–89: Research fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG) in Paris. During this time, he continued to perform as a cellist, making radio recordings for France Musique and performing as a chamber musician. Published numerous research papers in the fields of perception theory, musical aesthetics, issues of musical analysis, text theory, and space and time in music. The historical focus of his work is the 15th century.
1989: Moved to Berlin. Since 1990, author of radio plays for WDR, ORB, and SFB. Worked as a music journalist. Work for television; concert reviews for Radio Brandenburg (ORB)
1994: Hosted his own program, “Goldberg Variations,” on Radio Brandenburg, later on SFB (Radio 3, then RadioKultur). Since the merger, the program has been on RBB. Ceased work in 2025 due to a complete decline in quality.
1990–94: Teaching position in musicology1990–94: Lecturer in musicology at the Technical University of Berlin
1994–96: Visiting professor (substituting for Prof. Budde’s chair) at the UdK Berlin. Numerous concert presentations, lectures, and participation in academic symposia.
Numerous music education programs: “Classical Music on Sunday” at the Nikolaisaal in Potsdam; “Slow Listening” lunch concerts at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music (HfM), discontinued after the COVID-19 pandemic. “Klangfarben” at the Barberini Museum in Potsdam since its founding, in collaboration with the Kammerakademie Potsdam.
Concerts as a Baroque cellist and on the Renaissance viola da gamba; founding of the ensemble Voix et Violes.
Development of the foundation’s “Slow Listening” performances
Personal Motivations for the Foundation
The milestones in this biography reflect two fundamental themes in my life: pushing boundaries and, at the same time, synthesizing seemingly disparate fields. Musicology should never be practiced without listening to music and, at the very least, mentally recreating it. Analysis enables deeper listening; listening is an integral part of analysis.
Music on stage should not be a religious service. Musicians should also reflect on the music and have an analytical understanding of it. Music critics make better judgments when they have experienced the performance firsthand. Verbal communication should not be self-reflection, but rather serve to deepen the musical experience.
Intellectual rigor on the radio is not a ratings killer if it is combined with passion and a direct, spontaneous style of speech. In every endeavor, the motivation must be clear, and the love and passion for that endeavor must be palpable. Thinking in terms of disciplines does not foster true thinking. No research has a “subject”; research is a process of exploration, a process of communication, and a process of self-discovery.
Unfortunately, these convictions and insights could never be realized within the ossified, established institutions. These institutions systematically stifle creativity; they perceive it as a threat to their unreflective existence.
