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Markus SCHIRMER
piano
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"Markus Schirmer is so prolific, humorous and inventive that any piano is liable to marry him on the spot, if he’s not careful... " (Basler Zeitung) Within the international classical music scene he is known as one of the most sensitive and exciting pianists of his generation. Born in Graz, he studied with Rudolf Kehrer, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Paul Badura-Skoda and Doris Wolf. He went on to win numerous prizes and honors and to take a number of major concert halls and festivals by storm: Wiener Musikverein & Konzerthaus, Herkulessaal & Philharmonic (Munich), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Wigmore Hall (London), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Rudolfinum (Prague), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Megaron (Athens), Finlandia Hall (Helsinki), Teatro Teresa Carreño (Caracas), Victoria Hall (Geneva), Teatro Olimpico (Vicenza), Festival international de piano "La roque d'Antheron", Rheingau Musik Festival, Bregenz Festival, Ruhr Piano Festival, styriarte, Lucerne Festival, Mondseetage, ISCM-World Music Festival and many more… No matter where he is touring, in Asia, almost any European country, North or South America, he receives audience acclaim above all for his extraordinary musicianship as well as his ability to tell vivid stories with the instrument and his rare charismatic power on the stage. One of his reviews hits the nail on the head: "A pied piper on the piano….music that comes straight from the heart, the brain and the fingertips." He has worked with renowned orchestras and conductors: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Mariinsky Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Radio-Symphony Orchestras of Vienna, Munich, Leipzig, Czech Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev, Sir Neville Marriner, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Jukka Pekka Saraste, Michael Gielen, Philippe Entremont, Sir Charles Mackerras, Pinchas Steinberg, John Axelrod, Fabio Luisi, Roy Goodman and Philippe Jordan, among others. He adores Schubert above all but is also enthusiastic about more obscure works such as Britten's ironic piano concerto, the transcendental oeuvres of Szymanowski and Apostel's "Kubiniana". Chamber music plays a very important role in his work and so he has performed with Julian Rachlin, Renaud Capuçon, Clemens Hagen, Christian Altenburger, Corey Cerovsek, Danjulo Ishizaka, Patrick Demenga, the Artis Quartet, the Auryn Quartet, the Chilingirian Quartet, the Gaede Trio and many others. However, this musician doesn't only have a heart beating in him. His love affair with the unusual, his daring and his eagerness to explore new territories ensure the development of sensational events outside the traditional classical repertoire. "Scurdia" is an improvisation project, which brings together extraordinary musicians from all over the world on one stage, thus allowing completely new artistic-creative energies to be set free by bridging various cultures. Finding great pleasure in working with actors, combining literature and music, Schirmer develops highly unusual programs that are equally celebrated by the audience and the press. And in collaboration with the American singer and actress Helen Schneider he presents his own adaptation of Kurt Weill's "The Seven Deadly Sins" for voice and piano. For his exceptional artistic diversity Markus Schirmer was awarded the "Music Manual Award". at the international Music Convention EUROMUSIC. In addition he was recently granted one of the most prestigious awards for Austrian artists: the "Karl-Böhm-Interpretationspreis". He knows what is essential for every type of music: Expression, Energy and Emotion. His honesty and lack of superficiality have been acknowledged with the "German Record Critics' Award" for his debut CD of Schubert Sonatas. Further recordings including sonatas by Haydn and Beethoven, the Mozart Piano Quartets with the Gaede-Trio and his latest set "Pictures & Reflections" have also caused a major international sensation by receiving excellent reviews (e.g. the "Supersonic Award" Luxembourg, Ö1-Pasticciopreis/ORF, Austria). He will be performing at many festivals and concert series in the United States, South America, Germany, Switzerland, China, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Austria in the next season - among others first time collaborations with violinist Maxim Vengerov, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, making his debuts at the festivals of Schleswig-Holstein and Bad Kissingen or performing for the first time at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and Concertgebouw Amsterdam. In addition to his work as a Professor for Piano at the Music University in his hometown Graz, Markus Schirmer is an adjudicator in several international piano competitions. www.markusschirmer.com |
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