RALF GOTHÓNI

ABOUT

Ralf GOTHÓNI is an internationally-renowned Finnish-German pianist. A highly versatile musician, he has also developed a long career as pianist, conductor, chamber musician, composer, author and professor. Born in 1946, he began studying the violin at the age of three and the piano at the age of five. At 15, he made his debut as an orchestral soloist. He has been invited, both as a soloist and conductor, by the most prestigious festivals, including Salzburg, Berlin, Prague, Prades, Aldeburgh, Edinburgh, BBC Proms, La Roque-d'Anthéron, Ravinia, and Tanglewood. As a soloist, he has appeared a.o.with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto, the Berlin and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, with Japanese and Korean orchestras, and the English Chamber Orchestra.  

 From 2000 to 2009, Ralf Gothóni served as principal conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra, and from 2001 to 2006 he was music director of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra in Seattle, USA. He had earlier served as artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland (1984-1987). He founded the Forbidden City Music Festival in Beijing, of which he was artistic director from 1996 to 1998, and has created cultural links.o.  between Egypt and Finland (“Musical Bridge Egypt-Finland”, held annually since 2007). 

In recent decades Gothóni’s artistic activity is focused on conducting from the piano. In this double role he has given several world premieres by composers such as Einojuhani Rautavaara, Srul Irving Glick, Aulis Sallinen, C. Curtis-Smith, and Sir John Tavener, whose Pratirupa he premiered in London at a gala concert celebrating the composer’s 60th birthday in 2004. 

Gothóni attaches great importance to the training of young musicians. He is an artistic mentor of the summer music academy in Savonlinna, Finland. He was professor for chamber music in Hamburg, Berlin, London, Helsinki, Detmold and in Karlsruhe. From 2006 to 2012, he was professor at the then-newly founded Instituto de Musica Camara of Escuela Superior Reina Sofia in Madrid. He regularly gives masterclasses worldwide and serves as a jury member of the most important piano competitions.  More

HIGHLIGHTS:


  •  English Chamber Orchestra 2001-2010 as chief conductor 
  • Northwest Chamber Orchestra Seattle, 2000-2006 as music director
  • Regular quest conductor with recordings: Hamburg Camerata, Deutsche Kammerakademie, Virtuosi di Kuhmo, FinlandiaSinfonietta, Pori Sinfonietta
  • Concerts + recordings: Korean Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Sinfonia Varsovia, JyväskyläSinfonietta


Share by: