Bernd Goetzke was born in Hanover, Germany. Already at the age of 13 he was accepted as a student at the Hanover University of Music and Drama, where he studied piano with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling until obtaining his Concert Soloist’s Diploma in 1975.

An important period in his pianistic development was his long association (1969 to 1977) with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, who regarded him as his last pupil. He also participated in Beethoven courses given by Wilhelm Kempff and Claudio Arrau.

Bernd Goetzke was awarded prizes in several international competitions (Paris, Milan, Epinal, Athens, Brussels, amongst others). In his concert repertoire, Bach, Scarlatti, Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann and Debussy appear frequently, but he also devotes himself to works of the twentieth century, reflecting his fascination with the stylistic richness and diversity of the period between Late Romanticism and Avantgarde.

Already at the age of 25 he became lecturer at the Hanover University of Music and Drama. He was appointed a professor’s position in 1982. Today Bernd Goetzke is one of Germany’s most sought-after teachers and musicians. He teaches a class of young pianists from all over the world, many of whom have become prize winners in international competitions. In addition he holds numerous Master Classes in Germany and worldwide.

He is Head of the Concert Soloist Programme in Hanover. He is also involved in the training of soloists and the development of young talents outside of the University environment: as jury member of many international competitions (Moscow, Munich, Bolzano, Orléans, Oslo, London, St. Petersburg, Kharkov, Salt Lake City, Hilton Head, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Sendai, Warsaw and many others), or as Artistic Advisor of the „Braunschweig Classix Festival“.

Since 2000 he is Director of an Institute for highly-gifted children. This Institute, conceived by him, is attached to the Hanover University of Music and Drama and has served as a model to other institutes of its kind in Germany.