Maria Bachmann

Violin

A violinist who combines outstanding musicianship with dazzling technical command, a tone of exceptional purity, and a magnetic stage presence, Maria Bachmann has been the subject of critical accolades worldwide from the very beginning of her career. The New York Times has hailed her as “a violinist of soul and patrician refinement,” and The Boston Globe has similarly praised Ms. Bachmann as being “astonishing in every musical and technical regard.” Ms. Bachmann has also had the rare distinction of being profiled by Time magazine, as well as by such journals as Mirabella, Fanfare and CD Review.

Among Ms. Bachmann’s numerous competition victories are First Prizes at the Fritz Kreisler Competition in Vienna, the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York and the Pro Musicis Foundation Award. These distinctions were followed by acclaimed debuts with the St. Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center with Robert Spano and with Marin Alsop conducting the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles.

An active guest soloist abroad, Ms. Bachmann has been heard with the Taipei Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, MAV Symphony in Budapest, the Brabants Orchestra of the Netherlands, and with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra on tour in Japan. She has performed recitals in Tokyo, Kyoto, London, Paris, Shanghai, Taipei, Vienna, Budapest, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, New York's Town Hall, Merkin Hall and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, and in Boston's Jordan Hall. Of Hungarian descent, Ms. Bachmann is noted for her performance of Bela Bartok, and was invited by the Library of Congress to recreate the legendary Szigeti/Bartok recital of 1940 in a nationally broadcast performance there.

Highlights of the 2008-09 season include the world premiere of Philip Glass's Sonata for Violin and Piano which has been commissioned for Ms. Bachmann. She performs the premiere of the Glass Sonata at The Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, PA for Market Square Concerts in February 2009. Ms. Bachmann also performs recitals at the St. Petersburg Museum of Art in Florida, in Newtown, CT, Gretna Music in Mt. Gretna, PA, and in New York City for the Anne Ratnor/Camp Hill Village benefit series. Philip Glass is also composing a duo for violin and cello for Ms. Bachmann and cellist Wendy Sutter to premiere and record in 2009. Ms. Bachmann performs at Spivey Hall in Atlanta, GA as guest artist with the Georgian Chamber Players in May 2009, and she will perform the world premiere of Paul Moravec's Violin Concerto at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, PA in May 2010.

In 2007-08, Ms. Bachmann gave concerto performances at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center in the world premiere of Jay Reise's Violin Concerto with Orchestra 2001, Vivaldi Concertos at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York with The Little Orchestra Society, and performances of John Corigliano's Red Violin Concerto with the Waukesha Symphony in Wisconsin. Ms. Bachmann performed recitals in Boston's Jordan Hall, Brooklyn’s Museum of Art for the Corigliano Festival celebrating his 70th Birthday (presented by The Brooklyn Philharmonic), at LACMA in Los Angeles for the “Sundays Live” broadcasts, and at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ.

Ms. Bachmann continues her role as Artistic Director of Telluride MusicFest in Colorado for the seventh year in summer 2009 and Philip Glass will be the Composer-in Residence. She performs at many other festivals including Bravo! Vail Festival in Vail, CO, The Caramoor Festival, Maverick Concerts and Cooperstown Festivals in New York, The Moab Festival in Utah, The Grand Canyon Festival in Arizona, and The Chappaquidick Festival in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Ms. Bachmann has been a notable performer of John Corigliano’s Red Violin Concerto, and has been heard in this work with the Omaha Symphony, Chicago Humanities Festival Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony, and at Royce Hall in Los Angeles with the Mancini Institute Orchestra. “The Red Violin,” Ms. Bachmann’s latest recording which includes music of Corigliano, Moravec, Ravel, Copland and Gershwin, was released in February 2007 on Endeavour Classics. It was chosen by BBC Music Magazine as the "North American CD of the Month" in May 2007, and selected as Classical Gold: Top Ten cds of 2007 by NPR's WGBH in Boston.

Ms. Bachmann has been equally successful as a performer of the established repertoire and as champion of contemporary music. Her recordings for the BMG/Conifer label of the Beethoven and Mendelssohn violin concertos with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Libor Pesek have been praised for their elegance and musical insight. Her CD “Fratres” features a recital of works by John Corigliano, Arvo Pärt, Paul Moravec, Albert Glinsky and Olivier Messiaen on the BMG/Catalyst label. This issue drew critical plaudits, receiving a “Best Classical Recording of the Year” rating from the New York Daily News. It was subsequently re-issued on the RCA Red Seal label in 2005. Ms. Bachmann has recorded a recital disc titled “Kiss On Wood” for BMG/Catalyst, “Rhapsody” for Violin and Orchestra by Ian Krouse for Koch, violin sonatas by Beethoven and George Rochberg for the Connoisseur Society and concertos by Lou Harrison for the Argo and Koch labels.

Ms. Bachmann has premiered many new works including those of George Rochberg, Leon Kirchner, James MacMillan, Sebastian Currier and 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Moravec, who has written a total of fourteen works for Ms. Bachmann ranging from a violin concerto to works for violin and piano and other chamber forms. Moravec’s 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning work, TEMPEST FANTASY, was composed for her chamber group, Trio Solisti, with whom she maintains an active touring schedule. She has made numerous recordings with Trio Solisti including their own arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Brahms Trios, and music of Paul Moravec.

Maria Bachmann studied at The Curtis Institute of Music with Ivan Galamian and Szymon Goldberg, and she was awarded The Fritz Kreisler Prize for outstanding graduating violinist at Curtis. She performs on a 1782 violin by Nicolo Gagliano. www.mariabachmann.com