Biography - long version
“Music is the deepest expression of my soul” says Munich-based pianist Tanja Huppert who sees her most important task in re-feeling the composer’s inner world - when writing their music - and conveying it to the listener. Her concern is to bring this music to the stage as a wonderfully beneficial force that enriches our lives and brings out the good in them.
The reactions to her playing are definite: Kirill Petrenko, Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, describes her interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations BWV 988 as “subtle” and “played with great musicality, creativity and high technical ability”. She received standing ovations for her concert at the Steinway House in Hamburg. “Tanja Huppert played her way into our hearts tonight!” the house announced afterwards. Jonathan Nott, the long-time chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, describes her playing after the joint recording of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, KV 271 (Jeunehomme) as “a wonderful balance between technical ability, inspiration, musicality and wit”.
The result of this collaboration was recorded by Bayerischer Rundfunk (Public Bavarian Radio), as were Tanja's interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit and Domenico Scarlatti's Keyboard Sonata in D-minor, K 141. All these recordings are regularly broadcast on the radio, e.g. on BR-Klassik. In addition, she has recorded with Bayerischer Rundfunk Haydn’s Piano Sonata in F-Major Hob. XVI:23, Domenico Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonata in G-minor, K 8 and the Toccata by 1951 born Munich composer and organist Harald Feller.
In 2018 she recorded Mozart’s Sonata No. 15, KV 533-494, Haydn’s Andante con Variazioni for Piano Hob XVII :6 and Viktor Ullmann’s Variations and Double Fugue op. 3a on a theme by Arnold Schoenberg (op. 19/4) and created the story for an artistic video portrait about her.
Tanja already played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 at the age of 15 and attended the Tchaikovsky Music Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, where she graduated with distinction and was the youngest student at that time. After that she studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with major piano with Professor Gerhard Oppitz and Professor Michael Schäfer and graduated there. She was winner of the First Prize of the International Piano Competition in Salerno, Italy, and was a scholarship holder by G. Henle Publications and the foundation Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
Besides music, she also loves painting, for example the paintings of Pieter Bruegel and Marc Chagall.
Her 2021 recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations BWV 988 was set by Spotify on rank 2 in their editorial playlist “Classical New Releases” on Christmas 21 as well as her recording of Domenico Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, K 247 in their edition of 18th February 22.
Last updated: 28 January 2024 (459 words)
» download all bio versions