Tabea Zimmermann - viola
For many years, Tabea Zimmermann has been recognized as one of the most popular and renowned musicians of our time. Her charismatic personality, deep musical understanding and natural playing are valued equally by both her audience and her fellow musicians. Arguably the finest violist in the world today, Tabea Zimmermann owes her success not only to her exceptional talent, but also to the support of her parents, thorough training by excellent teachers, and a tireless enthusiasm to communicate her understanding and love of music to her audience.
After having featured in the last season in a residency at Kunstfest Weimar, which showcased her musical versatility, Tabea Zimmermann prepared a similar range of programs for her residency at the Hamburger Laeiszhalle for the 2009/2010 season. In addition to a concert with the Ensemble Resonanz, in which she will perform and direct at the same time, other concerts are planned, such as a viola night, a concert with the Arcanto Quartet and Jörg Widmann, as well as a recital with Kirill Gerstein. Further highlights of the season include a duo recital with Alexander Lonquich at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in August, as well as solo appearances with orchestras: in Mai, she will perform Schnittke's viola concerto with the Orchestre de Paris and Bartok's viola concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker in June.
The Arcanto Quartet, with violinists Antje Weithaas and Daniel Sepec and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, continues to be a special focus for Tabea Zimmermann's chamber music activities. After a triumphant concert debut in Stuttgart in June 2004, the Arcanto Quartet quickly went on to perform at the Beethovenhaus Bonn, Wigmore Hall London, Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Auditorio Nacional de Musica Madrid as well as at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele and the festivals of Edinburgh, Helsinki and Montreux, and tours to Japan and Israel. In the 08/09 season they gave their debuts at the Rheingau Musik Festival, Kunstfest Weimar, Tonhalle Zürich and Philharmonie Berlin. After the resounding success of their first CD with Bartók's String Quartets No. 5 and 6, a second CD was released last season (Brahms String Quartet op. 51 No. 1 and Piano Quintet op. 34 with pianist Silke Avenhaus). A third CD for the Harmonia Mundi label with works by Ravel, Dutilleux and Debussy is also planned. The 2009/2010 season will start with a tour in Japan in September, followed by a residency in London. The quartet has invited Jörg Widmann, Silke Avenhaus and Olivier Marron for several chamber concerts at Wigmore Hall. In October 2010, the Arcanto Quartet will introduce itself to the North American audience. Among other venues, their tour will lead them to Carnegie Hall and the Vancouver Recital Series.
Tabea Zimmermann has inspired many composers to write for the viola and has introduced many new works into the standard concert and chamber music repertoire. In April 1994, she gave a highly successful world premiere of the Sonata for Solo Viola by György Ligeti, a work composed especially for her. The subsequent premieres of this work in London, New York, Paris, Jerusalem, Amsterdam and Japan attracted great critical and public acclaim. In recent seasons, Tabea Zimmermann premiered Recicanto for Viola and Orchestra by Heinz Holliger, the viola concerto Über die Linie IV by Wolfgang Rihm, Monh by George Lentz, Notte di pasqua by Frank Michael Beyer, and, together with Antoine Tamestit, the double concerto by Bruno Mantovani.
Numerous CDs for EMI, Teldec and Deutsche Grammophon document Tabea Zimmermann's artistry. Ars Musici released a recording of the concert where she played Beethoven's own viola at the Beethovenhaus Bonn, accompanied by Hartmut Höll. She has also recorded a duo recital CD for Capriccio with works by Schumann with Hartmut Höll. Her latest concerto releases are a live recording of Berlioz's Harold in Italy under Sir Colin Davis with London Symphony Orchestra for LSO live and a recording of Bloch's Suite for Viola and Orchestra with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlinunder Steven Sloane for Capriccio. Also on the Capriccio label, a recording by Antje Weithaas and Tabea Zimmermann with duo works by Mozart and Spohr appeared in autumn 2006 and has been nominated for the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis.
Tabea Zimmermann has received several national and international awards for her outstanding artistic contributions. These include Hessischer Kulturpreis, Frankfurter Musikpreis and International Prize Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna. In January 2006, she was awarded the Paul Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau in recognition of her outstanding contribution in promoting the music of Paul Hindemith.
Tabea Zimmermann began learning the viola at the age of three, and two years later began playing the piano. She studied with Ulrich Koch at the Musikhochschule Freiburg and subsequently with Sandor Vegh at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Following her studies, she received several awards at international competitions, amongst them first prizes at the 1982 Geneva International Competition and the 1984 Budapest International Competition. As a result of winning the 1983 Maurice Vieux Competition in Paris, she received a viola by the contemporary maker Etienne Vatelot on which she has been performing ever since. From 1987 to 2000, she regularly gave concerts in Düsseldorf, Jerusalem and Luxemburg with the late David Shallon, father of her two sons Yuval and Jonathan. Tabea Zimmermann held teaching posts at the Musikhochschule Saarbrücken and Hochschule für MusikFrankfurt, and has been a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin since October 2002 she. She is married to the American conductor Steven Sloane, their daughter Maya was born in September 2003.
After having featured in the last season in a residency at Kunstfest Weimar, which showcased her musical versatility, Tabea Zimmermann prepared a similar range of programs for her residency at the Hamburger Laeiszhalle for the 2009/2010 season. In addition to a concert with the Ensemble Resonanz, in which she will perform and direct at the same time, other concerts are planned, such as a viola night, a concert with the Arcanto Quartet and Jörg Widmann, as well as a recital with Kirill Gerstein. Further highlights of the season include a duo recital with Alexander Lonquich at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in August, as well as solo appearances with orchestras: in Mai, she will perform Schnittke's viola concerto with the Orchestre de Paris and Bartok's viola concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker in June.
The Arcanto Quartet, with violinists Antje Weithaas and Daniel Sepec and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, continues to be a special focus for Tabea Zimmermann's chamber music activities. After a triumphant concert debut in Stuttgart in June 2004, the Arcanto Quartet quickly went on to perform at the Beethovenhaus Bonn, Wigmore Hall London, Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Auditorio Nacional de Musica Madrid as well as at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele and the festivals of Edinburgh, Helsinki and Montreux, and tours to Japan and Israel. In the 08/09 season they gave their debuts at the Rheingau Musik Festival, Kunstfest Weimar, Tonhalle Zürich and Philharmonie Berlin. After the resounding success of their first CD with Bartók's String Quartets No. 5 and 6, a second CD was released last season (Brahms String Quartet op. 51 No. 1 and Piano Quintet op. 34 with pianist Silke Avenhaus). A third CD for the Harmonia Mundi label with works by Ravel, Dutilleux and Debussy is also planned. The 2009/2010 season will start with a tour in Japan in September, followed by a residency in London. The quartet has invited Jörg Widmann, Silke Avenhaus and Olivier Marron for several chamber concerts at Wigmore Hall. In October 2010, the Arcanto Quartet will introduce itself to the North American audience. Among other venues, their tour will lead them to Carnegie Hall and the Vancouver Recital Series.
Tabea Zimmermann has inspired many composers to write for the viola and has introduced many new works into the standard concert and chamber music repertoire. In April 1994, she gave a highly successful world premiere of the Sonata for Solo Viola by György Ligeti, a work composed especially for her. The subsequent premieres of this work in London, New York, Paris, Jerusalem, Amsterdam and Japan attracted great critical and public acclaim. In recent seasons, Tabea Zimmermann premiered Recicanto for Viola and Orchestra by Heinz Holliger, the viola concerto Über die Linie IV by Wolfgang Rihm, Monh by George Lentz, Notte di pasqua by Frank Michael Beyer, and, together with Antoine Tamestit, the double concerto by Bruno Mantovani.
Numerous CDs for EMI, Teldec and Deutsche Grammophon document Tabea Zimmermann's artistry. Ars Musici released a recording of the concert where she played Beethoven's own viola at the Beethovenhaus Bonn, accompanied by Hartmut Höll. She has also recorded a duo recital CD for Capriccio with works by Schumann with Hartmut Höll. Her latest concerto releases are a live recording of Berlioz's Harold in Italy under Sir Colin Davis with London Symphony Orchestra for LSO live and a recording of Bloch's Suite for Viola and Orchestra with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlinunder Steven Sloane for Capriccio. Also on the Capriccio label, a recording by Antje Weithaas and Tabea Zimmermann with duo works by Mozart and Spohr appeared in autumn 2006 and has been nominated for the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis.
Tabea Zimmermann has received several national and international awards for her outstanding artistic contributions. These include Hessischer Kulturpreis, Frankfurter Musikpreis and International Prize Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna. In January 2006, she was awarded the Paul Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau in recognition of her outstanding contribution in promoting the music of Paul Hindemith.
Tabea Zimmermann began learning the viola at the age of three, and two years later began playing the piano. She studied with Ulrich Koch at the Musikhochschule Freiburg and subsequently with Sandor Vegh at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Following her studies, she received several awards at international competitions, amongst them first prizes at the 1982 Geneva International Competition and the 1984 Budapest International Competition. As a result of winning the 1983 Maurice Vieux Competition in Paris, she received a viola by the contemporary maker Etienne Vatelot on which she has been performing ever since. From 1987 to 2000, she regularly gave concerts in Düsseldorf, Jerusalem and Luxemburg with the late David Shallon, father of her two sons Yuval and Jonathan. Tabea Zimmermann held teaching posts at the Musikhochschule Saarbrücken and Hochschule für MusikFrankfurt, and has been a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin since October 2002 she. She is married to the American conductor Steven Sloane, their daughter Maya was born in September 2003.
General Management
Photo: Marco Borggreve
Photo: Marco Borggreve
Photo: Marco Borggreve