Viviane Hagner

Munich-born violinist Viviane Hagner has garnered exceptional praise for her insightful musicality and passionate artistry. Making her international debut at the age of 12, she participated in the legendary joint concert of the Israel and Berlin Philharmonics, conducted by Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, a year later. Since then, Hagner has developed a depth and maturity in her playing that resonates in her stage presence and assurance.

Appearing with the world’s great orchestras, Hagner’s concerto appearances include the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus, New York Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, working with conductors such as Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Eschenbach and Salonen as well as a Carnegie Hall appearance with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

In the 24/25 season, Viviane performs with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra multiple times showcasing the violin concertos of Tansman and Brahms. She joins the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and Pietari Inkinen for the Korngold violin concerto and engages in a series of chamber music performances. Her trio, featuring pianist Till Fellner and cellist Adrian Brendel, will perform at the Kronberg Festival and Schubertiade Hohenems, highlighting their exceptional collaboration. Additionally, Viviane performs a recital with pianist Lilit Grigoryan in Girona, featuring Shostakovich’s Sonata for Violin and Piano. A highlight of the season is her performance at the Ultraschall Festival, where she gives the premiere of a newly discovered sonata by Aribert Reimann, adding a unique and exciting dimension to her already diverse repertoire.

Highlights from last season include her residency with the Orchestre National de Bretagne, where she performed the Walton and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos and directed a program featuring works by Bach and Mendelssohn. Additionally, Hagner play-directed a series of concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, featuring Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 10 and his Violin Concerto in E Minor. She also continued her project performing Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, incorporating a visual element with mime artists Bodecker & Neander in Bremen.

Previous seasons saw Hagner performing with Berlin’s Komische Oper Orchestra under Ainars Rubikis, Prague’s National Opera Orchestra under Karl-Heinz Steffens, and the Orquestra de Valencia with Alexander Liebreich. In North America, she returned to the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa for performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante alongside Pinchas Zukerman, and undertook a residency in Vancouver where she performed Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Otto Tausk, as well as participating in chamber music performances and masterclasses.

In addition to bringing insight and virtuosity to the central concerto repertoire, Hagner is a passionate advocate for new, neglected, and undiscovered music, championing composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, and Witold Lutoslawski. As the dedicatee of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto, she premiered the piece in 2002 with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester under Kent Nagano and has since performed it across Europe, the US, and Brazil.

A committed chamber musician, Hagner regularly appears in prestigious venues such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, London’s Wigmore Hall, Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, and Zurich Tonhalle. She also performs at renowned festivals worldwide, including the Ravello Festival, Salzburg Easter Festival, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival.

Hagner joined the BBC Philharmonic, conductor Christian Karlsen, and guitarist Jacob Kellermann to record Tōru Takemitsu’s Spectral Canticle, which was released on BIS in May 2023. Additionally, the Hyperion label issued her performances of Vieuxtemps Violin Concerti 4 & 5, and the Canadian company Analekta released her recording of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Her performance of Christian Jost’s TiefenRausch with the Essen Philharmonic, conducted by the composer, was released by the Capriccio label to critical acclaim, and she recorded Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor with the Dogma Chamber Orchestra for the MDG label.

Hagner is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Krzyżowa-Music, an ambitious festival promoting the exchange of ideas and culture, and providing young and aspiring musicians the opportunity to rehearse and perform with internationally acclaimed artists. In summer 2024, they celebrate their 10th edition for the festival. She was recently awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz) for her work on the cultural exchange between Germany and Poland, predominantly for her work at the festival, as well as performances in both countries.

Residing in Berlin where she grew up, she has been a Professor at the Mannheim Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts since 2013.

Artist Website: www.vivianehagner.com

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