Reinhard Goebel was born at Singen in 1952. After leaving school, he studied violin at the Cologne Conservatory with Franzjosef Maier, then with Saschko Gawriloff at the Folkwangschule in Essen. This was followed by an intensive course of study with Eduard Melkus and several years under the guidance of Marie Leonhardt. In addition, Goebel studied musicology for several years at Cologne University. It was there that he laid the foundations for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the repertoire, which lends special importance to his ensemble's concerts and recordings. More than perhaps any other artist in the realm of ancient music Reinhard Goebel and his ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln have played a vital role in increasing our awareness of the wealth of Baroque music. In 1997 the state of North Rhine-Westphalia conferred the State Prize on Goebel "for his exemplary readings of both well-known and neglected music of the 17th and 18th centuries“ with Musica Antiqua Köln and his “inspirational, mould-breaking research in the field of baroque, rococo and early classical music”. In 2002 he was awarded the Telemann Prize by the city of Magdeburg.
