Thomas Ruge

A native of Bremen, Thomas Ruge studied the cello, most recently under Ottomar Borwitzky at the Karajan Academy in Berlin. Early in his career, he served as principal cellist for various orchestras, including the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), the RIAS Youth Orchestra, and the festival orchestras of Lucerne and Aix-en-Provence. After performing for several years with the Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, Ruge has served as Deputy Principal Cellist of the Munich Philharmonic since 1991. He regularly performs as a guest principal cellist with leading orchestras such as Israel Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bavarian State Opera, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Munich Radio Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of the HR, SR, and MDR, among many others. From 1989 to 1998, he participated in performances and tours with "The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic"; he was also a founding member of the Nadolny Cello Quartet and the Mullova Ensemble. As a soloist, he has performed works such as the cello concertos of Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms at the Berlin Philharmonie. He has also frequently served as a coach for cello sections, including those of the GMJO, SHFO, and BLJO. Ruge is a two-time prize-winner of the Brahms Society and has released various CDs on labels such as Thorofon, Syrius, NEOS, and Festivo-Records. Since 2003, he has been a (founding-) member of Claudio Abbado’s Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and since 2020, he has served as principal cellist of Paavo Järvi’s Estonian Festival Orchestra.