Bernd Terver grew up in the small town of Saarburg in Rhineland-Palatinate. He attended high school there starting in 1976. He took his first steps in music with the classical guitar, which he taught himself to play. Later, he also played electric guitar in the band Gummimuck. Thanks to a very ambitious music teacher, he eventually took up the double bass by chance: In addition to the school choir, the high school also had an orchestra, and it was missing a bassist… and Bernd played that position so well that this teacher advised him to study music. He didn’t receive his first double bass lessons until he was 15, under Werner Lang of the Trier Philharmonic Orchestra.

After graduating from high school in 1985, he first studied for two years with Andreas Huba at the Saarland University of Music (where he even minored in tuba). In 1987, he continued his studies with Günter Klaus at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. He also took private lessons with Rolf Heister at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.

He gained his first professional experience in 1991 as a substitute with the RSO Frankfurt; he secured his first permanent position in 1993 with the Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra in Reutlingen (double bass tutti with tuba duties). Finally, in 1998, he earned a position in the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper. He was also a member of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra from 2004 to 2008. From 2017 to 2020, he served as orchestra chairman at the Deutsche Oper.

In his free time, he was passionate about classic cars and had a keen interest in technology. He completely dismantled an old English sports car, a TVR, and successfully restored it using original parts—some sourced from England—making it roadworthy again.

Bernd always felt “at home” in his bass section. He held his colleagues in the highest professional regard and was very fond of them personally.

Now, unexpectedly for everyone, he has been taken from us at the age of 60.

With his passing, the opera loses a colleague who was always reliable and helpful.

He is survived by his wife Sigrid and his two 20-year-old sons, Linus and Lovis.