German oboist Albrecht Mayer’s bestselling memoir, “The Wonder of Sound: How the Power of Music Healed Me,” will soon be available in English for the first time. The book, which reached the top spot on the Spiegel bestseller list, will be released on June 3rd to coincide with Mayer’s 60th birthday.
Mayer, a world-renowned musician, will also be embarking on a tour to promote the English translation of his autobiography. Titled “Reading and Recital,” the tour will feature Mayer in conversation with co-author Heidi Friedrich. Together, they will provide a deeply personal account of Mayer’s life, from his difficult childhood plagued by stuttering to his rise to musical greatness.
At the age of 10, Mayer’s life changed when his father gave him an oboe and instructed him to learn to play it. Despite facing numerous obstacles, Mayer persevered and is now known as one of the greatest oboists in the world. Through his book, he hopes to inspire others with his story and showcase the healing power of music.
In addition to his book tour, Mayer will also be performing at three events where he will play pieces by Mozart and Bach. The first event will take place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on June 6th, followed by performances at the RSNO Strathclyde Suite in Glasgow on June 7th and the RIAM Whyte Recital Hall in Dublin on June 8th. Tickets for these events can be purchased online.
Mayer, who has been the principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra since 2002, has received numerous accolades for his musical talent. He is a three-time winner of the ECHO Klassik Prize and has been awarded the Opus Klassik Prize twice. His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon have consistently ranked high on the classical music charts.
The opportunity to hear Mayer’s exquisite oboe playing and to hear him speak about his struggles with stuttering and eventual success over adversity is not to be missed. His co-author, Heidi Friedrich, is a journalist and author whose work has been featured in publications such as Spiegel online, Berliner Zeitung, and Zeit online.
Fellow musicians have also praised Mayer and his book. French horn player Sarah Willis, who is a colleague and friend of Mayer’s, describes his sound as “simply sublime.” Kirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, also commends Mayer and is delighted that his story will now be available to English-speaking readers.
For review copies of the book or to schedule an interview with Albrecht Mayer, please contact Brenda Abbott at beabbott@caritatebooks.com. “The Wonder of Sound: How the Power of Music Healed Me” is published by Caritate, an imprint of franciscanpublishing.com, and is distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.