Ralf Gothóni

Ralf Georg Nils Gothóni ( born 2 May 1946 in Rauma, Finland ) is a Finnish pianist living in Germany, conductor, composer, teacher and essayist.

Life and work

Since he was 15 years Gothóni entered the world as a soloist, conductor and chamber musician. As a conductor, he was principal guest conductor of the Turku Philharmonic 1995 to 2000. From 2000 to 2010 he was chief conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra and from 2001 to 2006 he was Music Director of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra in Seattle. Since 2004, Principal Guest Conductor of the German Chamber Academy. From 1986 to 1996 Gothóni was a professor at the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg. Then he joined the Academy of Music " Hanns Eisler" in Berlin where he worked until 2000. From 1992 to 2007 he also taught at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Since 2006, he has been a professor at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid and since 2012 he also taught as a visiting professor of piano chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe.

Gothóni was the artistic director of Schubertiade in Helsinki in 1977, the Savonlinna Opera Festival from 1985 to 1988, the Forbidden City Music Festival in the Forbidden City in Beijing from 1996 to 1998 and the Musical Bridge Egypt -Finland since 2004.

More than a dozen piano concertos, among others by Curtis Curtis -Smith, Mikko Heiniö, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen, Leif Segerstam and John Tavener were premiered by him. He made over 100 recordings for the classical label BIS Records, Classic Production Osnabrück, Decca Records, German Grammophon, EMI Group, Ondine, among others.

Compositions

  • Chamber opera " A strange message from another planet ." Libretto by Hermann Hesse ( in German ). 60 min
  • Chamber opera " The Dog ". Libretto by Thomas Wulff ( in Swedish). 57 min
  • Chamber opera " Aurinko hiekassa ". Libretto by Viivi Luik ( in Finnish). 56 min
  • Chamber cantata " The ox and his herdsman ." Zen story of ancient China. Soprano, baritone, violin, viola, cello, 2, piano. 60 min
  • Concerto Grosso " The ox and his herdsman ." Violin, piano, string orchestra. 58 min
  • Trio " Peregrina " for viola, clarinet, piano. 24 min
  • "Forbidden Scherzo " for string quartet. 8 min
  • Song cycle " Peregrina " ( Moerike ) for baritone, viola, piano. 26 min
  • Song cycle " Morgue " ( Benn ) for soprano / tenor, piano. 10 min
  • 4 songs ( Heine ) for soprano / tenor, piano. 10 min
  • Italian Songbook. ( Hugo Wolf) Arrangement for Two Voices and Chamber Orchestra. 70 min
  • 5 Finnish folk songs ( arrangement ) for soprano / mezzo- soprano or tenor / baritone, piano. 10 min

Literary works

  • Luova hetki ( The creative moment ) 1998
  • Pyöriikö kuu? ( Business is the moon? ) 2001
  • Flyygelin kanssa ( with the wings ) 2004

Awards

  • Schubert Medal of the Austrian Ministry of Culture in 1977
  • Honorary Award of the Arts Council of Finland 1982
  • Medal "Pro Finlandia " 1990
  • " The Gilmore Award" 1994
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