Frank Peter Zimmermann
Since the mid-'80s, Frank Peter Zimmermann has been recognized as one of the leading violinists, not for the usual reasons alone -- formidable technical skills and interpretive acumen -- but also for his ability to adapt his style to accommodate the demands of a broad range of repertory, from Bach to contemporary composers. He has expressed a special love for the music of Mozart and Prokofiev, two composers of obviously disparate styles whose works Zimmermann has performed to international acclaim. He has also played the standard concertos of Beethoven, Brahms, and Stravinsky, as well as solo and chamber works by Bach, Debussy, and Ysaÿe. In addition, Zimmermann has delved into more adventurous fare, taking on works by Ligeti, Matthias Pintscher, and other contemporary composers. Zimmermann and pianist Martin Helmchen issued the second volume of their Beethoven violin sonata cycle on the BIS label in 2021.
Zimmermann was born in Duisburg, Germany, on February 27, 1965. He was extremely precocious: at five years of age, he began playing the violin, and at ten, gave his first orchestral concert playing the Mozart G major Concerto, K. 216. In 1976, he won the Youth Makes Music Competition in Germany. His roster of teachers is impressive: Valery Gradov at Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Saschko Gawriloff at the Berlin Staatliche Hochschule, and Herman Krebbers in private studies in Amsterdam. In 1983, Zimmermann launched his career, performing in numerous critically acclaimed concerts across Germany and parts of Europe. He made his U.S. debut the following year with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and over the next several seasons appeared with the Boston, Chicago, and National Symphony Orchestras. He also gave concerts in South America, Japan, and Australia.
In the early years of his career, Zimmermann regularly collaborated in chamber works with pianist Alexander Lonquich, but since 1998, he has regularly performed with pianist Enrico Pace. In the new century, Zimmermann has turned more conspicuously to contemporary music, recording the Ligeti Violin Concerto for Teldec (2002) and premiering Matthias Pintscher's En Sourdine in 2003, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Peter Eötvös. In 2010, Zimmermann teamed with violist Antoine Tamestit and cellist Christian Poltéra to form Trio Zimmermann, which has become a staple at European concert halls and festivals. Zimmermann and pianist Martin Helmchen toured Europe performing Beethoven's violin sonatas, either in partial or complete, for the 250th Anniversary of the composer's birth.
Zimmermann has made numerous recordings for many labels, including EMI, Sony, and Teldec. A collaborative effort with cellist Heinrich Schiff on ECM from 2006 contains chamber works for violin and cello by Bach, Honegger, Martinu, Pintscher, and Ravel. Zimmermann's collaboration with Helmchen resulted in a BIS cycle of Beethoven's violin sonatas, issuing the first volume in 2020 and the second in 2021.
© Robert Cummings /TiVo
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Anton Dvorák : Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Czech Philharmonic, Jiří Bělohlávek , Garrick Ohlsson, Alisa Weilerstein, Frank Peter Zimmermann
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 and Sinfonia concertante
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Radosław Szulc
Classical - Released by haenssler CLASSIC on 4 Mar 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky, Bartók & Martinů: Violin Works
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hrůša
Classical - Released by BIS on 12 Jan 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Violin Concertos
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Berlin Baroque Soloists, Serge Zimmermann
Classical - Released by haenssler CLASSIC on 29 Dec 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Jean Sibelius : Œuvres symphoniques
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds
Classical - Released by Ondine on 24 Aug 2010
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Alexander Lonquich
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 6 May 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by BIS on 6 Oct 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas, Vol. 3
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Martin Helmchen
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on 3 Sep 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 5-7
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Martin Helmchen
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on 9 Apr 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Szymanowski: Violin Concertos 1+2/Britten: Violin Concerto
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 9 Jan 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Martin Helmchen
Chamber Music - Released by BIS on 4 Sep 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Magnus Lindberg: Tempus fugit & Violin Concerto No. 2
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Hannu Lintu
Classical - Released by Ondine on 14 Aug 2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Violin Concerto, Op. 47 - Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Philharmonia Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
J.S. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas, Vol. 1
Classical - Released by BIS on 4 Feb 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms & Mozart: Violin Concertos
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Berliner Philharmoniker
Classical - Released by EMI on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Obsession. Ysaÿe: 6 Sonates pour violon solo, Op. 27
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Martinů: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hrůša
Classical - Released by BIS on 6 Nov 2020
Gramophone: Recording of the Month24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Double Concerto, Op. 102 & Horn Trio, Op. 40
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Heinrich Schiff, Marie-Luise Neunecker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 14 Oct 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Vilolin Concerto/Cello Concerto/Manfred Overture
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Truls Mørk, Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester, Hans Vonk
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Feb 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Berliner Philharmoniker, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Daniel Harding
Concertos - Released by Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings on 1 Oct 2021
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo