Tabea Zimmermann

Tabea Zimmermann (born 8 October 1966) is a German violist who has performed internationally, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has been artist in residence of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, Zimmermann founded the Arcanto Quartet, a string quartet that performed until 2016. Several composers have written music for her, including György Ligeti (the Viola Sonata), and she has made her own version of Bartók's Viola Concerto from the composer's sketches.

Zimmermann is a professor at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and gives master classes at the Kronberg Academy and elsewhere. Her awards include the 2020 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.

Life and career Born in Lahr on 8 October 1966, and commenced piano studies at age five. At age 13, she studied viola with Ulrich Koch at the Freiburg Conservatory and progressed to study with Sándor Végh at the Mozarteum of Salzburg. She soon gained notice in international competitions, winning first prizes in Geneva (1982), the Budapest International Viola Competition (1984), and the Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition in Paris (1983), for which she was awarded an instrument by contemporary luthier Étienne Vatelot (1980).

As a soloist, Zimmermann has performed with major orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and with conductors including Kurt Masur, Bernard Haitink, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. In 1992 she made her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, performing Bartók's Viola Concerto. but after studying the original sketches in 1994, she prepared her own version. She played her version in the final concert of the 2023 Kronberg Festival at the Casals Forum, with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. and in the 2022/23 season the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Zimmermann is also devoted to chamber music, having performed with Gidon Kremer, Lars Vogt, Hartmut Höll, Steven Isserlis, Javier Perianes, and Pamela Frank at numerous festivals. In 2004, she co-founded the Arcanto Quartet with Antje Weithaas, , and Jean-Guihen Queyras. The quartet played together until 2016. She has also collaborated with the Ensemble Resonanz. Other works written for her include Heinz Holliger's Recicanto for viola and orchestra, Wolfgang Rihm's Viola Concerto No. 2 "Über die Linie IV", Monhby Georges Lentz, Frank Michael Beyer's Notte di pasqua and Bruno Mantovani's Concerto for Two Violas that she played with Antoine Tamestit. where Antoine Tamestit was one of her students. Other students of hers include Amihai Grosz and Pauline Sachse. As of 2023, Zimmermann is again a professor of viola and chamber music in Frankfurt. She gives masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy.

Other activities Zimmermann chairs the Foundation Board of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation. She was president of the Hindemith Foundation, based in Blonay, Switzerland, and has chaired the Bonn Beethoven House since 2013. Her second husband is the American conductor Steven Sloane; they have a daughter.

Awards Zimmermann has won numerous national and international awards, including the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, the Frankfurter Musikpreis, the Hessian Cultural Prize, the Rheingau Musik Preis, the Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau, the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) 2017, and the International Prize of the Chigiana Music Academy of Siena. With the prize money of €250.000 from the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, Zimmermann founded the David Shallon Foundation.

Recordings

Ensemble Resonanz, Poppe: Filz Jewish chamber music Tabea Zimmermann – Solo Tabea Zimmermann – Solo II Tabea Zimmermann : BR 4 : 28.02.1994 Tabea Zimmermann, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra – Hartmann, Britten, Schostakowitsch Walton, Strauss, Bartók: Iván Fischer, BRSO Christoph Poppen, Yuri Bashmet, Viola-Fest 2003 – Kronberg Academy Bach: The Brandenburg Project / Twelve concertos, Håkan Hardenberger, Pekka Kuusisto, Antje Weithaas, Thomas Dausgaard, Swedish Chamber Orchestra Rihm: Sphäre nach Studie, Christian Gerhaher, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlioz: Harold en Italie, Stéphane Degout, François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles Javier Perianes, Cantilena Schubert: Forellenquintett, Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor, Alfred Brendel, Thomas Zehetmair Mayer: Song of the Reeds Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Vol. 1, Kirill Gerstein, Rebecca Clarke Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Vol. 2, Kirill Gerstein, Rebecca Clarke Romance oubliée Richard Strauss: Don Quixote, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Jean-Guihen Queyras, François-Xavier Roth, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne Brahms: String Sextets, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Belcea Quartet Michael Jarrell: Émergences-résurgences, 4 Eindrücke...Le ciel, tout à l'heure encore si limpide..., Renaud Capuçon, Pascal Rophé, Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire Mozart: Sinfonia concertante, K. 364, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Gianluigi Gelmetti, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Ligeti: Works, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marie-Luise Neunecker Gubaidulina: Offertorium, Gidon Kremer, Isabelle van Keulen, Charles Dutoit, Boston Symphony Orchestra Ives: Concord Sonata, Songs, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Susan Graham, Emmanuel Pahud Mantovani: Concerto pour deux altos, Time Stretch, Finale, Antoine Tamestit, Pascal Rophé, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège Widmann: Es war einmal, Märchenerzählungen Arcanto Quartet, Schubert: String Quintet, Op. 163 Arcanto Quartet, Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel: Quatuors à cordes Haydn: Piano Trio, Hob. XV:2, Lars Vogt, Antje Weithaas Richard Strauss: Don Quixote, Mischa Maisky, Zubin Mehta, Berlin Philharmonic Hindemith: Mathis der Maler, Herbert von Karajan, David Shallon, Berlin Philharmonic Hindemith: Viola & Orchestra, Hans Graf, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Hindemith: Viola Sonatas and Viola Solo, Thomas Hoppe