ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

HARTMUT OMETZBERGER is a leading Austrian violinist. It is his unique warmth and generosity of spirit, combined with the remarkable beauty and individuality of his sound, that expresses his abundant musicality. Critics have praised his performances as an ‘exceptional joy’, ‘bewitching’, ‘a musical revelation’ and ‘a song without words’. Being a violinist of diverse talents, he is equally accomplished and internationally respected as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader and teacher. As the renowned violinist Emanuel Hurwitz said, “He is a violinist of extraordinary musical talent. At this time of technical perfection, he is one of the few violinists today who truly has something to say.”

By the age of 9, he was performing in public regularly. At 14-years-old, he made his concerto debut performing with members of the La SCALA orchestra in Milan and was invited for a special performance for HRH Princess Anne. He has performed Concertos by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Elgar, Szymanovski, Mendelssohn and performed in many prestigious halls all over Europe (Concertgebouw, Bösendorfersaal, Hofburg, Schloss Schwetzingen, Prinzregententheater, Gasteig, Grote Kerk/Leiden/Den Haag, Carrolus Borromeus Kerk/Antwerpen, the English Church/ Amsterdam) and the United States.  He is regularly invited to perform at Austrian embassies and Austrian Cultural Forums. Dutch television has broadcast performances in the Netherlands, and Hartmut was featured in a documentary by renowned Japanese filmmaker Ryo Nishiyama.

Hartmut Ometzberger formed a unique Duo with dramatic soprano Diana Jacklin (www.dianajacklin.com) entitled The Diva and the Fiddler (www.dianajacklin.com/thedivathefiddler). They are the only voice and violin duo in the world and have created unique programs combining the expression of the violin and voice, juxtaposing vocal and instrumental works. Additionally, they arrange and perform works for violin and voice alone. Their extraordinary range of expression and color has led several composers to write music for them. New York’s TIME OUT described them as an ‘eclectic duo’. They havea concert series in Vienna and are the Directors of the KlangFEST, their own chamber music festival. They have furthermore performed in New York, Boston (broadcast worldwide), Phoenicia Festival NYC, the Shalin Liu Performance Centre, London, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Styria and Slovenia. The coming year, they will perform in Vienna, Amsterdam, Boston, Maine and a tour of the United Kingdom.

As concertmaster, Hartmut Ometzberger has worked with great conductors, e.g. Sir Colin Davis, Gennady Roshdestvensky, Christoph Campestrini, Adam Fischer and Michael Hofstetter. He is currently concertmaster of the Oper Klosterneuburg and is regularily invited to lead the Beethoven Philharmonie and will lead the Vienna Festival Symphony Orchestra on tour in China.

As an impassioned chamber musician, his talents have led him to work together with Diana Cummings, Christophe Pantillon, Rafael Wallfisch, Garfield Jackson, Thomas Enman, Prunella Pacey, Kristin Okerlund, Steve Tees and Martin Outram.

Hartmut Ometzberger is regarded as an exceptional and inspiring teacher and mentor. He is regularly invited to teach masterclasses (in Germany, Austria, England and America). His method of teaching is based on the most natural use of the body which makes him an important resource for professional musicians with physical issues. Austrian string magazines have published his articles on playing the violin, and he is currently working on a more comprehensive book of his ideas.

Since 2013 he is also the director, together with Diana Jacklin, of ChamberMusicWeeks (www.chambermusicweeks.com). These are very successful chamber music courses for students and amateurs which take place in Graz, Austria. These courses are a very innovative program and bring together an international faculty of highly regarded musicians to work together with the participants in a stunning and supportive environment.

Hartmut Ometzberger studied with several renowned teachers, Diana Cummings, Emanuel Hurwitz and Herman Krebbers. He furthermore worked with Yair Kless, Erick Friedman, Aaron Rosand and Zvi Zeitlin and members of the Maggini and Amadeus quartets.