Robert Zimansky

Last updated

Robert Zimansky (born 20 April 1948, Iowa City, Iowa) is an American violinist living in Basel, Switzerland. [1]

After early studies with John Ferrell at the University of Iowa, Zimansky studied at the Juilliard School in New York with Sally Thomas and Ivan Galamian. He came to Europe in 1972 and held 1st Concertmaster positions in Munich, Stuttgart, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Zurich Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva. All of these orchestras allowed him the freedom to pursue his solo career.

Robert Zimansky has performed as soloist with many conductors and toured with various chamber music groups. He conducted the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic and the Zurich Academy of Strings. From 1986 to 1992 he was a member of the board of directors of the Swiss “Tonkünstlerverein.” Between 1978 and 2002 he performed regularly in the piano trio with Michael Ponti and Jan Polasek in Europe. Since 2008 Robert Zimansky is a member of the Trio Mersson and artistic director of the Ensemble Fiacorda.

Robert Zimansky has made numerous recordings including his CD of the complete Schumann Sonatas with Christoph Keller, awarded a Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie Charles Cros in 1986. He is an advocate of unknown repertoire and often plays rarely performed violin concertos from the early 20th century. Many modern composers have dedicated works to him over the years.

Robert Zimansky currently lives in Basel and teaches at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste and the Conservatoire de Genève.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Sacher</span>

Paul Sacher was a Swiss conductor, patron and billionaire businessman. At the time of his death Sacher was majority shareholder of pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche and was considered the third richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$13 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Fournier</span> French cellist

Pierre Léon Marie Fournier was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists" on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinz Holliger</span> Swiss oboist, composer and conductor (born 1939)

Heinz Robert Holliger is a Swiss virtuoso oboist, composer and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Classical pieces, but he has regularly engaged in lesser known pieces of Romantic music, as well as his own compositions. He often performed contemporary works with his wife, the harpist Ursula Holliger; composers such as Berio, Carter, Henze, Krenek, Lutosławski, Martin, Penderecki, Stockhausen and Yun have written works for him. Holliger is a noted composer himself, writing works such as the opera Schneewittchen (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancho Vladigerov</span> Bulgarian composer (1899–1978)

Pancho Haralanov Vladigerov was a Bulgarian composer, pedagogue, and pianist.

Armin Jordan was a Swiss conductor known for his interpretations of French music, Mozart and Wagner.

Michael Ponti was a German-American classical pianist. He was the first to record the complete piano works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. He made more than 80 recordings, around 50 of rarely played concertos from the Romantic period, often the only recording of these works at the time. He played and recorded chamber music with his Ponti-Zimansky-Polasek Trio.

Jan Schultsz is a Dutch pianist and conductor. He is an accompanist in lieder recitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Beck</span> Swiss composer

Conrad Arthur Beck was a Swiss composer.

Maurice Steger is a Swiss recorder player and conductor, mostly in Baroque music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Haynes (musician)</span> Australian clarinettist

Richard Elliot Haynes is an Australian clarinettist residing in Switzerland. He performs music spanning the 16th to 21st centuries worldwide, but predominantly music by living composers, in a multitude of contexts.

The Russian-born British/German cellist Leonid Gorokhov studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire with Anatoli Nikitin and took part in masterclasses with Daniil Shafran. Winner of Concertino Praga and Paris Chamber Music Competition, Leonid Gorokhov is the only Russian cellist to be awarded the Grand Prix and the First Prize of the Geneva Concours (1986). In 1995 the European Association for Encouragement of the Arts awarded the Cultural Achievement Prize to Leonid Gorokhov for exceptional talent and outstanding artistic accomplishment.

Gustav Meier was a Swiss-born conductor and director of the Orchestra Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He was also Music Director of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, for more than 40 years (1972–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Wohlhauser</span>

René Wohlhauser is a Swiss composer, pianist, singer, improviser, conductor and music teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Schnyder</span> Swiss classical pianist

Oliver Schnyder is a Swiss classical pianist.

Heinz Spoerli is a Swiss dance maker, internationally known. After a long career as a ballet dancer and company director, he is now widely considered to be one of the foremost European choreographers of his time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kammerorchester Basel</span>


The chamber orchestra Kammerorchester Basel was founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 1984. In the tradition of Paul Sacher's Basler Kammerorchester, its focus is on both early music and contemporary classical music. The orchestra plays regularly without a conductor with their leading concertmasters Julia Schröder, Daniel Bard and Baptiste Lopez. The Basel Chamber Orchestra is recognised as one of the leading chamber orchestras in the classical music scene. Invitations to the most important worldwide concert houses and festivals shape their agenda, as well as their own subscription concerts in Basel.

Mario Parmisano, is an Argentinian jazz pianist. He is recognized on the international scene for his work with guitarist Al Di Meola and for his Tango Jazz Trio, performing a unique interpretation about the Music of the Great Tango Master Astor Piazzolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Bohren</span> Swiss violinist

Sebastian Bohren is a Swiss violinist.

Brenton James Langbein, AO was an Australian violinist, conductor, and composer.

Günter Kehr was a German violinist, conductor and academic teacher of violin and chamber music. He founded the Kehr Trio, a string trio, and the Mainzer Kammerorchester, a chamber orchestra, and toured internationally with both ensembles. Kehr was director of the Peter Cornelius Conservatory in Mainz from 1953, and professor at the Musikhochschule Köln.

References

  1. "Profile: Robert Zimansky". The Strad: A Monthly Journal for Professionals and Amateurs of All Stringed Instruments Played with the Bow. 104: 1170–1171. 1993. Retrieved 15 July 2023.