Frank Peter Zimmermann

Violin

Frank Peter Zimmermann is widely recognised as one of the foremost violinists of his generation, praised for his selfless musicality, his technical brilliance and keen intelligence. For well over three decades he has worked regularly with the world’s major orchestras and renowned conductors. His many concert engagements take him to all important concert venues and international music festivals in Europe, the United States, Asia, South America and Australia.

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Frank Peter Zimmermann is widely recognised as one of the foremost violinists of his generation, praised for his selfless musicality, his technical brilliance and keen intelligence. For well over three decades he has worked regularly with the world’s major orchestras and renowned conductors. His many concert engagements take him to all important concert venues and international music festivals in Europe, the United States, Asia, South America and Australia.

Highlights during the 2024/2025 season include appearances with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Krill Petrenko, Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Dima Slobodeniouk, Staatskapelle Dresden and Daniele Gatti, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and Andris Poga, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Alan Gilbert, Orchestre de Paris and Dima Slobodeniouk, Orchestre National de Lyon and David Afkham,  Filarmonica della Scala and Daniele Gatti, as well as a tour in China. Together with pianist Dmytro Choni he will give recitals in various cities in Europe. 

Over the years Mr. Zimmermann has built up an impressive discography for BIS Records, Warner Classics, Sony Classical, hänssler CLASSIC, Ondine, Decca, Teldec Classics and ECM Records. He has recorded virtually all major concerto repertoire, ranging from Bach to Ligeti, as well as recital repertoire. Many of these highly acclaimed recordings have received prestigious awards and prizes worldwide. Most recent releases include the Stravinsky violin concerto, coupled with Martinů’s Suite concertante and Bartók’s Rhapsodies nos. 1 and 2 with the Bamberger Symphoniker and Jakub Hrůša (BIS), the complete sonatas and partitas by J.S. Bach (BIS) and the complete sonatas for piano and violin by Beethoven with Martin Helmchen (BIS).

He received numerous special prizes and honours, among which the “Premio del Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena” (1990), the “Rheinischer Kulturpreis” (1994), the “Musikpreis” of the city of Duisburg (2002), the “Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse der Bundesrepublik Deutschland” (2008) and the “Paul-Hindemith-Preis der Stadt Hanau” (2010). 

In 2010 he founded the Trio Zimmermann with viola player Antoine Tamestit and cellist Christian Poltéra; the trio performed in all major music centres and festivals in Europe for well over a decade. BIS Records released award-winning CD recordings of works for string trio by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Schoenberg and Hindemith.

Mr. Zimmermann has given world premieres of Magnus Lindberg’s violin concerto no. 2, Matthias Pintscher’s violin concerto “en sourdine”, Brett Dean’s violin concerto “The Lost Art of Letter Writing” and of Augusta Read Thomas’ violin concerto no. 3 “Juggler in Paradise”.

Born in 1965 in Duisburg, Germany, he started playing the violin when he was 5 years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. He studied with Valery Gradov, Saschko Gawriloff and Herman Krebbers.

Frank Peter Zimmermann plays on the 1711 Antonio Stradivari violin “Lady Inchiquin”, which is kindly provided by the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, “Kunst im Landesbesitz”.

Representation

General Management: Nymus Artists
Germany: Michael Kocyan Artists Management
Italy: Lorenzo Baldrighi Artists Management
Spain: Duetto Management

Links & downloads


BIO (en)

Concerts

  • October 29, 2024, 9:00 pm
    Forli, Italy
    Teatro Diego Fabbri
    Orchestra della Toscana
    Conductor: Diego Ceretta
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    https://www.orchestradellatoscana.it
  • October 30, 2024, 9:00 pm
    Florence, Italy
    Teatro Verdi
    Orchestra della Toscana
    Conductor: Diego Ceretta
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    https://www.orchestradellatoscana.it
  • October 31, 2024, 9:00 pm
    Pisa, Italy
    Teatro Verdi - Pisa
    Orchestra della Toscana
    Conductor: Diego Ceretta
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    https://www.orchestradellatoscana.it
  • November 10, 2024, 11:00 am
    Dresden, Germany
    Semperoper Dresden
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 11, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Dresden, Germany
    Semperoper Dresden
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 12, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Dresden, Germany
    Semperoper Dresden
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 13, 2024, 8:00 pm
    München, Germany
    Isarphilharmonie
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 14, 2024, 7:30 pm
    Vienna, Austria
    Musikverein
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 15, 2024, 7:30 pm
    Budapest, Hungary
    Müpa Budapest - Palace of Arts
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 17, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Luxembourg, Luxembourg
    Philharmonie Luxembourg
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 18, 2024, 7:30 pm
    Luzern, Switzerland
    KKL Luzern
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 19, 2024, 8:15 pm
    Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Het Concertgebouw
    Staatskapelle Dresden
    Conductor: Daniele Gatti
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de
  • November 30, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Barcelona, Spain
    L'Auditori
    Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona
    Conductor: Ludovic Morlot
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    https://www.auditori.cat/
  • December 1, 2024, 11:00 am
    Barcelona, Spain
    L'Auditori
    Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona
    Conductor: Ludovic Morlot
    Schumann – Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23

    https://www.auditori.cat/
  • December 7, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Seon, Switzerland
    Reformierte Kirche Seon
    Duo recital
    Piano: Dmytro Choni
    Schubert – Variationen über "Trockne Blumen" D802
    Szymanowski – Myths, op. 30
    Brahms – Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 120, no. 1
    Bartók – Sonata no. 2 for violin and piano, Sz.76

    https://seetalclassics.ch
  • December 9, 2024, 8:15 pm
    Utrecht, Netherlands
    TivoliVredenburg
    Duo recital
    Piano: Dmytro Choni
    Schubert – Variationen über "Trockne Blumen" D802
    Szymanowski – Myths, op. 30
    Brahms – Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 120, no. 1
    Bartók – Sonata no. 2 for violin and piano, Sz.76

    https://www.tivolivredenburg.nl
  • December 10, 2024, 8:15 pm
    Brussels, Belgium
    Flagey
    Duo recital
    Schubert – Variationen über "Trockne Blumen" D802
    Szymanowski – Myths, op. 30
    Brahms – Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 120, no. 1
    Bartók – Sonata no. 2 for violin and piano, Sz.76

    https://www.flagey.be/en/
  • December 14, 2024, 7:00 pm
    Bari, Italy
    Teatro Petruzzelli
    Duo recital
    Piano: Dmytro Choni
    Schubert – Variationen über "Trockne Blumen" D802
    Szymanowski – Myths, op. 30
    Brahms – Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 120, no. 1
    Bartók – Sonata no. 2 for violin and piano, Sz.76

    https://www.fondazionepetruzzelli.it
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Reviews

“Hier, in diesem halsbrecherisch zarten Perpetuum mobile, zeigt auch Zimmermann wieder seine ganze Größe. Denn selbst im atemlosen Hauch findet…” →“Hier, in diesem halsbrecherisch zarten Perpetuum mobile, zeigt auch Zimmermann wieder seine ganze Größe. Denn selbst im atemlosen Hauch findet er noch Gelegenheit zur Gestaltung, zur melodischen und rhythmischen Gewichtung, zum Augenzwinkern und Charmieren.” ←
– Leipziger VZ, 25/05/2018
“Zimmermann père has recently been reunited with the ‘Lady Inchiquin’ Strad, and it’s an instrument whose entire range he is…” →“Zimmermann père has recently been reunited with the ‘Lady Inchiquin’ Strad, and it’s an instrument whose entire range he is able to imbue with the same lucid, balanced tonal quality. There is a sweetness to the high-flying lyricism in the slow movement of BWV1042, where Zimmermann floats the solo line, vibratoless, over the orchestra, lending the movement an almost other-worldly colouring. In the following Allegro assai finale he brings a deftness of touch and a lightly sprung, dance-like lilt; however, the finale of BWV1052R is more outwardly breathtaking, with its breakneck multiple-stopping and string-crossing.” ←
– The Strad, 28/03/2018
“…Frank Peter Zimmermann’s vividly recorded performances stand out as formidable achievements. They match technical mastery at the highest level with…” →“…Frank Peter Zimmermann’s vividly recorded performances stand out as formidable achievements. They match technical mastery at the highest level with profound insight. … Zimmermann’s stunning negotiation of the cadenza (…) moves inexorably from morbid introspection to one of the most visceral outpourings of anger and aggression in violin literature. The sheer firepower Zimmermann draws from his 1711 Stradivarius is electrifying both in the klezmer-inflected grotesque dance of the Scherzo and the breathless race to the finishing line in the Burleske.” ←
– BBC Music Magazine (Recording of the month, 01/03/2017
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“Er hat alles, was einen wirklich großen Künstler ausmacht, und das ist: Man bekommt, was man erwartet und ist gleichzeitig…” →“Er hat alles, was einen wirklich großen Künstler ausmacht, und das ist: Man bekommt, was man erwartet und ist gleichzeitig fasziniert, wie perfekt das Ergebnis alles Erwartete übertrifft, wie ein Künstler aus allseits Bekanntem wie Mozarts Violinkonzerten jenes Quantum Glück herauskitzelt, das man sich seit David Oistrakh so oft erhofft hat.” ←
– Süddeutsche Zeitung , 17/02/2015
“Throughout the performance the violinist was in full command of the piece’s sawing and darting passages. His tone, in the…” →“Throughout the performance the violinist was in full command of the piece’s sawing and darting passages. His tone, in the process, displayed a variety of colors, from dusky low notes to high phrases laced in silver. The second movement of the concerto is one of Bartók’s most beautiful passages. There, Zimmermann found the hints of yearning romanticism, unwinding the line with a singing tone that was answered with soft a blanket of sound by the BSO strings. The quicker section moved with a fittingly awkward, impish gate, and the third movement moved with an off-kilter lilt. The violinist’s gnarly runs, there, took on a fiery energy. Zimmermann’s blazing encore, Ernst Schliephake’s transcription of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5, put a finishing touch on a thoroughly dramatic performance.” ←
– Boston Classical Review, 14/10/2016