Antoine Tamestit (born 1979) is a French
violist
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the v ...
. He premiered several contemporary compositions, including
Jörg Widmann
Jörg Widmann (; born 19 June 1973) is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. In 2023, Widmann was the third most performed living contemporary composer in the world. Formerly a clarinet and composition professor at the University of ...
's
Viola Concerto
A viola concerto is a concerto contrasting a viola with another body of musical instruments such as an orchestra or chamber music ensemble. Throughout music history, especially during the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, viola was viewed mo ...
(2015). Tamestit plays the
Stradivarius
A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...
viola ''Gustav Mahler''.
Life and career
Tamestit was born in Paris. He studied at the
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...
with
Jean Sulem,
and further with Jesse Levine at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
, and with
Tabea Zimmermann
Tabea Zimmermann (born 8 October 1966) is a German violist who has performed internationally, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has been artist in residence of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Bavarian ...
. He was a
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist from 2004 to 2006.
He has performed at such venues as the
Royal Concertgebouw
The Royal Concertgebouw (, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world, along with Boston' ...
, the
Vienna Musikverein
The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.
The acoustics of the building's 'Great ...
, and
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
and with the
Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome
4 March 2019 In 2014, he played viola for the recording of
Berlioz's ''
Harold en Italie
(''Harold in Italy, symphony with viola obbligato''), as the manuscript describes it, is a four-movement orchestral work by Hector Berlioz, his Opus 16, H. 68, written in 1834. Throughout, the unusual viola part represents the titular protago ...
'',
conducted by
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (, ; ; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conducting, conductor and opera company director. He is currently general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre and of the Bolshoi Theatre and artistic director o ...
.
Tamestit premiered several contemporary compositions, including
Thierry Escaich
Thierry Joseph-Louis Escaich (born 8 May 1965) is a French organist and composer.
Life
Born in Nogent-sur-Marne, Escaich studied organ, improvisation and composition at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP), where he won eight First Prizes a ...
's ''La Nuit des chants'',
Bruno Mantovani
Bruno Mantovani (born 8 October 1974) is a French composer. He has been awarded first prizes from the Conservatoire de Paris which he joined in 1993. His work has been commissioned by the French government as well as other organizations. In Septe ...
's Concerto pour deux altos et orchestre and
Olga Neuwirth
Olga Neuwirth (; born 4 August 1968) is an Austrian contemporary classical composer, visual artist and author. She is famed especially for her operas and music theater works, many of which have treated sociopolitical themes. She has emphasized an ...
's ''Remnants of songs… an Amphigory'' and ''Weariness heals Wounds''.
In 2015, he premiered
Jörg Widmann
Jörg Widmann (; born 19 June 1973) is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. In 2023, Widmann was the third most performed living contemporary composer in the world. Formerly a clarinet and composition professor at the University of ...
's
Viola Concerto
A viola concerto is a concerto contrasting a viola with another body of musical instruments such as an orchestra or chamber music ensemble. Throughout music history, especially during the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, viola was viewed mo ...
, which was commissioned by him, with the
Orchestre de Paris
The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris.
History
In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du ...
and
Paavo Järvi
Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020.
Early life
Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...
.
This concerto depicts Tamestit's skills and character.
Tamestit played chamber music with
Emmanuel Ax,
Isabelle Faust
Isabelle Faust (born 19 March 1972) is a German violinist who has worked internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. She has received multiple awards.
Life and career
Faust was born in Esslingen am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, on 12 Mar ...
,
Martin Fröst
Martin Fröst (born 14 December 1970) is a Swedish clarinetist and conductor. As a clarinetist, he performs internationally and is considered one of the most renowned instrumental soloists ever.
He is the first clarinetist to be awarded ...
,
Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos (; born 30 October 1967) is a Greek violinist and conductor. He has won several international violin competition prizes, including the Sibelius, Paganini, Naumburg, and Indianapolis competitions. He is an Onassis Foundation sc ...
,
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...
,
Emmanuel Pahud
Emmanuel Pahud (born 27 January 1970) is a Franco-Swiss flautist.
He was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father is of French and Swiss background and his mother is French. The Berlin-based flutistPatrick LamEmmanuel Pahud – The showcase behi ...
,
Francesco Piemontesi,
Cédric Tiberghien,
Yuja Wang
Yuja Wang () is a Chinese-born American pianist. Born in Beijing, she began learning piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
By age 21, s ...
, Jörg Widmann,
Shai Wosner, and the
Ébène Quartet
The Ébène Quartet ( French: ''Quatuor Ébène'') is a French string quartet based in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
History
Quatuor Ébène was founded in 1999 at the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatory in France. The group first came to interna ...
.
Together with
Frank Peter Zimmermann
Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist.
Childhood
He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10.
Since h ...
and , Tamestit founded the Trio Zimmermann.
He was professor at the
Musikhochschule in Cologne, the Conservatoire de Paris, and teaches in masterclasses at the
Kronberg Academy
The Kronberg Academy is a Private university, private music school for string instrumentalists based in Kronberg im Taunus, Germany. Founded in 1993 by Raimund Trenkler, the academy trains a select group of young musicians who have the potential ...
.
Tamestit plays on the first viola made in 1672 by
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...
, called ''Gustav Mahler''.
Awards
Source:
* 2001
Primrose International Viola Competition
* 2003
Young Concert Artists International Auditions
Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based artist management company dedicated to discovering and advancing the careers of talented young classical musicians from around the world. The organization, founded in 1961, invites artists to auditio ...
* 2004
ARD International Music Competition
The ARD International Music Competition () is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is organised by the Bayerischer Rundfunk and is held once a year in Munich, usually in September. Since its inception in 1952, it h ...
* 2008
Credit Suisse Young Artist Award
* 2022
Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau
The Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau is a music prize given by Hanau, Hesse, Germany and the Hindemith Foundation in Blonay (Switzerland), since 2000. Until 2004 the prize was called Paul Hindemith Prize for Art and Humanity of the City of ...
Discography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Antoine Tamestit on Intermusica
1979 births
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
Conservatoire de Paris alumni
Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln
Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition prize-winners
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists
French classical violists
21st-century French musicians
French male musicians
21st-century French male musicians
21st-century violists
{{classical-musician-stub