Michael Denhoff was born in 1955 in Ahaus, Westphalia. He made first composition attempts with ten years and received decisive impulses by Günter Bialas. Since 1973 he studied cello with Siegfried Palm and Erling Blöndal-Bengtsson, composition with Jürg Baur and Hans Werner Henze, and chamber-music (as a member of the Denhoff Piano-Trio) with the Amadeus Quartet.
From 1976 to 1980 he was awarded a stipend from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.
Denhoff taught theory of music at the University of Mainz from 1984-85. He lives at present as freelance composer and cellist in Bonn, where he conducted the Akademischen Orchester from 1985-92 and has been a member of the Ludwig Quartet since 1992. In 1996 began a close co-operation as cello-piano duo with the pianist Birgitta Wollenweber.
Further to this he is often called to give courses in chamber-music and composition, as, for example, from 1997-99 as visiting professor at the National Music Academy of Hanoi (Vietnam).
About his SACD "the cello in my life" published by CYBELE the online magazine Audiophile Auditions (www.audaud.com) wrotes: „ … Any collection of late-20th century chamber music would be
incomplete without this disc – very highly recommended.“
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