Double Bass (Section Leader)
Adopted by Paul and Christen Herbert
German double bass player Marcel Becker’s musical life began at nine-years-old when he started learning the guitar. At 13, he began playing the double bass – at first drawn to how big the instrument was, but later realised this was a mistake when he had to start carrying the instrument himself!
Marcel went on to study in Cologne and Karlsruhe with Professor Wolfgang Guttler. Highlights from that time include touring with the German National Youth Orchestra and the European Youth Orchestra.
At 22, he began his first job as Section Leader Double Bass of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Recklinghausen, Germany. In 1999, he moved to the UK, having secured a position with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Cardiff. He joined the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2006. Marcel also plays in the Klezmer-ish quartet, performing world music such as tango and gypsy jazz.
Fun Fact:
Outside of music, Marcel enjoys climbing and mountaineering, both around the UK and in Spain, Greece and the Alps. During lockdown, he studied for a Performance and Business Coach postgraduate course, and has just started a Masters in Psychology.