ABOUT    

Viviana-Zarah is currently studying with Jura Margulis at the Musik und Kunst Universität Wien. At the age of 16 she won a full scholarship at the Yehudi Menuhin School in London where she studied under the tutelage of Marcel Baudet. 

Viviana-Zarah had her orchestral debut with the Bayerische Rundfunkorchester in the prestigious Cuvilliés Theater in Munich. Furthermore she has performed solo concerts in venues such as the Wigmore Hall London, Konzerthaus Berlin and the Philharmonie Gasteig in Munich. Performing and working with internationally acclaimed stars has shaped and inspired Viviana-Zarah’s life as a performing pianist. In 2012 she was selected by Lang Lang to perform at his 30th birthday concert in the O2 Arena in Berlin. She performed with Arabella Steinbacher at the Künstlerhaus in Munich, and had her debut with Igudesman & Joo and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London in March 2020.

Viviana-Zarah has won many national and international first prizes in competitions such as Bundeswettbewerb Jugend Musiziert and Lions Klavierwettbewerb in Germany, Concorso Internazionale Mozart in Italy and Concours International de Piano, Alexandre Scriabine in Paris. She has participated in masterclasses with Karl-Heinz  Kämmerling, Michel Béroff and Boris Slutsky. Viviana-Zarah has regular lessons with Hyung-ki Joo and Bernd Götzke.

Teachers

Maja Nikolic (September 2004 – July 2012),
Städtische Sing- & Musikschule, Munich.

Prof. Massimiliano Mainolfi (September 2012 – July 2015),
Pre-College Dept. of Music, Städtische Sing- & Musikschule, Munich.

Prof. Marcel Baudet (September 2015 – graduating July 2018),
Yehudi Menuhin School, London.

Mariana Izman (September 2015 – 2017),
Deputy Piano Teacher at Yehudi Menuhin School, London.

Tatiana Fedkina-Malinin (September 2018 – 2019),
International Malinin Piano Center, Kassel.

Hyung-ki Joo (May 2014 – to this day),
Mentor and visiting artist at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Vienna/London.

Competitions

1st prize at Jugend Musiziert, Germany (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)

1st prize at Lions Piano Competition, Germany (2013)

1st prize at Concorso Città di Piove di Sacco, Italy (2013)

1st prize at Concorso Internazionale Mozart, Italy (2012)

Concerts

Recital with Arabella Steinbacher at the Künstlerhaus in Munich (2011)

Prize winners Gala Sternstunden, Allerheiligen Hofkirche Munich (2012)

Prize winners Gala at the Bayerische Rundfunk, Munich (2012)

`Happy Birthday Lang Lang`, on stage with Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock at the O2 Arena in Berlin (2012)

Closing concert at the Summit Music Festival, New York State (2012)

Prize winners Gala at the Philharmonie in Munich (2014 & 2015)

Solo recitals at Steinway Haus, Munich (2014)

Solo recitals at Gasteig, Carl-Orff Saal in Munich (2014 & 2015)

`Rising Stars of tomorrow‘, Bowdoin Music Festival (2014)

`Showcase Concert`at the Yehudi Menuhin Hall, London (2015, 2016 & 2017)

`Hommage to Yehudi Menuhin` at the Konzerthaus Berlin (2016)

`Hommage to Yehudi Menuhin` in Warsaw (2016)

Recital at Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich (2016)

`Jubiläumskonzert` at the Cuvilliés Theater with the Orchestra of the Bayerische Rundfunk, Munich (2017)

Solo debut at Wigmore Hall in London (Spring 2018)

Recital at Nazareth Church, Munich (November 2018)

Viviana-Zarah Baudis & Friends Concerts, Munich (January 2019)

Salon Festival: Entdeckung, Hannover (October 2019)

Benefiz-Klavier-Matinée, Friedrichshafen (February 2020)

Debut with Igudesman & Joo / London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall, London (March 2020)

Repertoire    

SOLO

Frederyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Studies Op. 10 No. 1,2,4,5,8,9,11,12 Ballade Op. 23 Studies Op. 25 No. 2,4,5,6,7,10,12 Preludes Op. 28 No. 1-8 Scherzo Op. 31 Impromptu Op. 36 No. 2 Impromptu Op. 51 No. 3 Nocturne Op. 72 No.1 Nocturne Op.posth. No. 20 Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 Waltz Op. 48 Waltz Op.posth.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata Op. 2 No. 3 Sonata Op. 10 No. 1 Sonata Op.10 No.3 Sonata Op. 13 Sonata Op.31 No.1 Sonata Op. 78 Sonata Op.81 (a)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Sonata Op. 5 No. 3 Ballades Op. 10 7 Fantasien Op.116 Intermezzi Op.117 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Italian Concerto BWV 971 English Suite No. 2 Prelude and Fugue WTC 1 BWV 851 Prelude and Fugue WTC 2 BWV 874 Fantasy in c-minor Prelude and Fugue WTC 2 BWV 881 Prelude and Fugue WTC 2 BWV 885

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

Piano Sonata K 466 Piano Sonata K 446

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Sonata Hob.XVI/34

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Fantasy KV 397 Sonata No.1 K 279

Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Arabesque No. 1 Preludes Book 1 : 1 Danseuses de Delphes 2 Voiles 3 Le vent dans la plaine 4 Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir 5 Les collines d’Anacapri 6 Des pas sur la neige 7 Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest Study No. 10 Pour les sonorités opposées

Sergei Wassiljewitsch Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 Study Op. 39 No. 9

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Sonata Op.22 No.2 Allegro Op.8 Faschingsschwank aus Wien Op.26

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 10 Study No. 6/ Variations on a Theme of Paganini Two concert Études S. 145 La Campanella

Pjotr Iljitsch Tchaikowsky (1840-1893)

Seasons Op. 37, May, June, July

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)

Sonata Sz.80

Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Impromptus Op.90 Sonata D.960

Gabriel Prokofiev (1975- )

Piano Book 1

 

Chamber Music

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Sonata for Violin and Piano in a minor Stücke im Volkston´ for Cello and Piano

Achille Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Sonata for Violin and Piano Sonata for Cello and Piano

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) Love`s sorrow

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Sonata for Piano Four Hands K.521 Sonata for Piano and Violin. K.304

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Hungarian Dances for Piano Four Hands No.1, 2, 5 Scherzo for Violin and Piano from FAE Sonata Cello & Piano Sonata Op.99, No.2

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

Scaramouche for Two Pianos

Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)

Variations on a Slovak Theme for Cello and Piano

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Piano Trio Op. 11 Violin and Piano Sonata Op. 30 No. 2

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)

Piano Trio Op. 49

Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)

Dumky Trio Op. 90

James MacMillan (1959 – ):

Piano Trio No. 2

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)

Cello Sonata Op.40

Pjotr Iljitsch Tchaikowsky (1840 – 1893)

Nutcracker Suite for Two Pianos Op. 71

Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)

Sextet for wind quintet and piano

Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)

Rhapsody for Violin and Piano Sz.87  

Piano Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Piano Concerto BWV 1056

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Piano Concerto K.466 Piano Concerto K.271 Piano Concerto K.415

Frederyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Piano Concerto Op. 11 No.1 Piano Concerto Op. 21 No.2

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Piano Concerto Op.37 No.3 Piano Concerto No. 5

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Piano Concerto No. 2

My Motivation   

For as long as I remember, I’ve always wanted to become a musician. Among all my interests, Music is the one that taught me the most and changed me the most as a person, and it seemed only logical that embracing a career in Music would be the most fulfilling option for me.

I was fortunate enough to live through a few exceptional experiences that only confirmed what was evident from the beginning; that I should become a musician. The first one of such memories occurred when I was 12 years old. I heard an advert on the radio telling about a concert in which Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock would play alongside 50 selected young pianists. I was determined to try my best to be one of them because I knew this would be a one-off opportunity for me to meet musicians of such caliber. I sent my video tape, and a few weeks later, I received the answer: I was selected. I remember my twelve-year-old self jumping up and down and running around the house in joy.

The experience itself was not short of my expectations. Not only could I benefit from the guidance and advice of two of my musical idols, but I could also meet 49 other pianists my age, from all over the world, who all shared the same passion for music. To this day, I am still friends with some of the young people I have met there; which just shows how incredibly well musicians can bond when they play together, even over a very short period of time. We performed in a televised concert in the 02 Arena in Berlin: 25 pianos on the stage, 10 000 people in the audience. It was a truly exhilarating performance.

That led me onto discovering another reason why I love music so much, namely that it is all about sharing.

When I went back home, I only had one thing in mind: finding another similar environment where I could be around people from all sorts of backgrounds and country of origin who are as passionate as I am about music. This is what led me to participate to the Bowdoin International Music Festival near Boston and the Summit Music Festival near New York City. In both those places I built again very strong friendships, and finishing the courses by playing chamber music together was an incredible experience that linked us even more together.

But still, after these experiences, I was craving that sort of environment. These people had become my musical family, and when, at age 14, I heard of the Yehudi Menuhin School in London, and heard people describe exactly like that: „A musical family“, I knew this was the place for me. It is a fantastic community of 80 pupils of different ages ranging from 8 to 19 from at least 30 different countries. When I was accepted there, aged 16, I blossomed as a person and as a musician and I spent the 3 most incredible years of my life, living and breathing music every day.

What struck me over the last few years, is that  even though I was meeting with some of the world’s most talented artists, sometimes very famous, each time I was incredibly touched to see how generous those people could be. Before, I thought that people such as Sergei Babayan, Daniil Trifonov, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Herbie Hancock, Martha Argerich, Igudesman and Joo belonged to another planet that was somehow inaccessible to me, and that they would not have any time to spare to young musicians like me, but each time I met such great musicians, I was absolutely touched by their generosity and humanity. They all seemed to understand me and the doubts I could have, and genuinely cared to help me. That musicians of such influence have this humility inspired me to help people as much as I can with my music, whether it is by organising charity concerts (such as Piano4Uganda, Kids for Soweto) or by generally being supportive and helpful to my peers and younger musicians.

The artist who has inspired me most is Hyung-Ki Joo. I was lucky to have met him backstage after one of his concerts and I was able to play to him later, and since, we have remained in very close contact. I consider him a mentor and a role model and can give credit to him for many of the best decisions I have made on my musical journey.

I feel so lucky to have had such incredible experiences that have formed my life and cannot wait to discover my journey of being a musician even further.