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Biography Friedrich Kleinhapl

About Friedrich Kleinhapl

VALERY GERGIEV

„….Friedrich Kleinhapl is one of the most promising musicians of a new, younger generation“

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA

„…I experienced Friedrich Kleinhapls exceptional penetration of the inner substance of my composition Canticle of the Sun and an absolute realisation of it´s intention. An unforgetable experience!“

CLAUDIO ABBADO

„Friedrich Kleinhapl is extraordinary worthy of support“

YEHUDI MENUHIN

„Friedrich Kleinhapl is a very gifted cellist“

TIBOR VARGA

„Friedrich Kleinhapl plays the cello with a certainty and spontaneous intuition, an ability only of real talents…“

PAUL TORTELIER

„Friedrich Kleinhapl has a brilliant technic and an extraordinary personality…“

Valery Gergiev, Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina and the New York Times are all excited about the Austrian cellist. Friedrich Kleinhapl plays with sparkling expressivity, passion and individuality. His sound and style are unmistakeable, and he is willing to take risks to create the music with each performance.

The Austro-Belgian cellist Friedrich Kleinhapl has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the major musical centers from Europe, North-, Central and South America to Japan and China. He has appeared for instance at Town Hall New York, Kennedy Center Washington, Wigmore Hall London, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Konzerthaus Berlin, Herkules Saal Munich, Vienna Musikverein or Dome des Invalides in Paris and Oriental Art Center Shanghai. Kleinhapl has collaborated with renowned fellow artists of different disciplines such as the viola player Gérard Caussé, singers as Christa Ludwig, actors as Peter Simonischek or renowned dancers like Maria Yakovleva.

He finished his cellistic education with Philippe Muller in Paris and gained many valuable artistic impulses and encouragements from his collaborations with personalities as Claudio Abbado, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Paul Tortelier and Tibor Varga.

Kleinhapl’s international breakthrough came in 2007 when he performed with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev – the famous Russian conductor described him as „one of the most promising talents of a new generation“. An international stir was caused by the CD release of Beethoven´s 5 cello sonatas, which he had recorded with his congenial duo-partner, German pianist Andreas Woyke.

In addition to his performances and CD recordings with numerous orchestras as for instance Mariinsky Orchestra, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Cech Radio Symphony Orchestra a.s.o. great importance is attached to his duo with pianist Andreas Woyke.

Friedrich Kleinhapl´s repertoire consists not only of classical standard works but also of rarely performed works as for instance the cello concertos by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Arthur Honegger, Miklos Rósza, Nino Rota or Sofia Gubaidulina. Beyond that the cellist has gained a formidable reputation as performer of contemporary literature, since he first performed quite a lot of cello concertos at well known festivals: for instance „Fantasy for cello and big band“ by Ed Neumeister, „Werden, Sein, Vergehen“ for choir percussion and solo cello by Johannes Berauer, cello concertos by Peter Herbert, Dirk d´Ase or Christoph Cech.

So far the cellist has recorded 15 CDs (mainly for the German label ARS Produktion) Many of them awarded with international prizes. Inspired by concert-tours to South America and Asia Friedrich Kleinhapl has started to deal with different cultures and their music some years ago. First result was the cd „Pasión Tango“ which has been awarded the international „Super Sonic Award 2014“.

Since 1998, Kleinhapl is performing on different precious violoncelli on loan from the Austrian National Bank’s instrument collection.

Friedrich Kleinhapl and his wife Heidrun Maya Hagn are continuously developing arts projects. (hagn-arts.com) Together with Andreas Woyke they founded „Get a Hearing – association of artists supporting children with hearing loss“ in 2015. (getahearing.com)

MEDIA CONTACT
Mag. Heidrun Maya Hagn
+43 664 1206325
heidrun.hagn@kleinhapl.com

Short Biography Andreas Woyke

An intensive quest and constant search for new and unconventional ways to express music determines the artistic vita of German pianist Andreas Woyke.
His artistic career as a soloist, chamber musician, composer, improviser and jazz performer is lined with concert performances at important concert places in the world like Townhall NYC, Sala Sao Paulo, Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Gasteig Munich, Cologne Philharmony, Pretoria State Theatre or Oriental Arts Centre Shanghai.

Performing under renown conductors like Joao Carlos Martins, Kazushi Ono, Gerard Korsten or Heribert Beissel has a significant impact on his artistic personality as well as his collaboration with famous artists as mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig, actress Julia Stemberger or writer Michael Krüger. Andreas Woyke crosses sylistic borders. On his Solo-CD „Braiding Bach” he combines piano works by Johann Sebastian Bach with his own compositions. In these strongly jazzinspired
sound images the improvising element shows as important effect as in the baroque embellishing of Bach’s sarabandes.

As an improviser he als collaborates with painters and accompanies silent movies. Woyke is open minded for any styles like rock, jazz-rock, funk, soul, ethno or house as well as the classical epoques and ancient music.

Since the spring of 2003 he is permanent duo partner of Austrian cellist Friedrich Kleinhapl.