Search - Robert Schumann, Benedikt Koehlen :: Schumann: The Violin Sonatas

Benedikt Koehlen was born in Speyer and received his training as a pianist with Elisabeth Moritz Conrad, Richard Laugs, Friedrich Wührer, and Geza Anda. He also studied conducting with Karl Mennerich, Kurt Eichhorn, and Jan Koetsier. He was awarded numerous distinctions in international competitions, like the Van Cliburn Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni Competition. Extensive concert appearances led to his appearance on international platforms from the very start of his career. His 1968 debut in Munich provoked enthusiastic reviews. He appeared repeatedly at major festivals, and as a soloist with orchestras and conductors of repute. A high point of the last season was Koehlen's performance of both volumes of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier on the 250th anniversary of Bach's death, during the Bach Night at the Munich Culture Centre am Gasteig. His first co-production (Karl Amadeus Hartmann/Leos Janá?cek) reached the final list for the German Record Critics' Prize. Further releases of works by Stravinsky, Antheil, Satie, Artur Schnabel, and Hindemith (complete violin sonatas, with Ulf Hoelscher) followed. During his career to date, Koehlen has maintained longstanding chamber music partnerships with soloists like Ulf Hoelscher, Christoph Henkel, and Michael Schopper. Since the foundation of the Balance Trio in 1996, his activities in this area have seen further expansion.