Markus Hinterhäuser

Markus Hinterhäuser
ÖB Berlin · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Markus Hinterhäuser
Birth date	1958
Birth place	Klagenfurt
Occupation	Pianist, conductor
Years active	1970s–present

Markus Hinterhäuser is an Austrian pianist and artistic director noted for his performances of twentieth-century repertoire, contemporary music, and historically informed interpretations of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. He has combined a concert career with leadership of major European festivals and collaborations with leading ensembles and composers. Hinterhäuser's work bridges performance, programming, and advocacy for living composers, placing him among influential figures in late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century classical music circles.

Early life and education

Born in Klagenfurt, Hinterhäuser studied piano and composition in Austria and abroad. He trained at institutions including the Mozarteum University Salzburg and pursued advanced studies with teachers associated with Vienna Conservatory, Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, and pedagogues from the Musikhochschule Freiburg. Early influences included encounters with performers and composers connected to Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Ligeti, and the postwar European avant-garde. He attended masterclasses and festivals such as the Graz Festival, Salzburg Festival, and the Aldeburgh Festival, which shaped his taste for contemporary repertoire.

Musical career

Hinterhäuser established an international concert career as a soloist and chamber musician, performing across Europe, North America, and Asia. He collaborated with orchestras like the Wiener Symphoniker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and ensembles including Ensemble Modern, IRCAM Ensemble, Asko Ensemble, and London Sinfonietta. His collaborators have included soloists and conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, and chamber partners from the Alban Berg Quartet, Kronos Quartet, and Hilliard Ensemble. He has appeared at venues and series like Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Teatro alla Scala, and festivals such as the Donaueschingen Music Festival and Lucerne Festival.

Repertoire and recordings

Hinterhäuser's repertoire ranges from Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to modernists and contemporary composers. He is noted for performances and recordings of works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Alban Berg, Olivier Messiaen, and Paul Hindemith, alongside interpretations of Beethoven sonatas and Franz Schubert piano cycles. He has premiered compositions by Helmut Lachenmann, György Kurtág, Salvatore Sciarrino, Thomas Larcher, and Beat Furrer, and worked closely with composers associated with IRCAM, WDR, and the SWR Experimental Studio. His discography includes releases on labels connected to Deutsche Grammophon, ECM Records, Harmonia Mundi, Schott Music, and boutique contemporary labels, documenting solo recitals, chamber projects with Emerson Quartet-type ensembles, and electroacoustic collaborations with studios such as Elektronmusikstudion.

Conducting and festival direction

Transitioning into artistic leadership, Hinterhäuser served as artistic director and programmer for major festivals and institutions, shaping contemporary music seasons at venues like the Biennale di Venezia, Salzburg Festival, Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen), and the Musikverein. He curated cycles featuring composers linked to the Second Viennese School, the Spectralist movement, and post-serial aesthetics, while commissioning works from living figures associated with BOZAR, Konzerthaus Dortmund, and national radio ensembles of Deutschlandfunk. His directorship involved collaboration with stage directors and institutions such as the Bayreuth Festival, Komische Oper Berlin, and the Opéra National de Paris for interdisciplinary projects merging music with theatre and contemporary art. He has also led orchestral and chamber rehearsals in a conductor-like role with groups including Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and Basel Sinfonietta.

Awards and recognitions

Hinterhäuser's contributions have been recognized by honors and prizes from cultural institutions and governments. He received awards associated with the Austrian Cultural Forum, grants from the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, commissions supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, prizes connected to the International Rostrum of Composers, and acknowledgments from festivals such as the Salzburg Festival and Lucerne Festival. His recordings have been shortlisted for prizes presented by institutions like the Gramophone Awards, ICMA (International Classical Music Awards), and national critics' associations in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He has held professorships and guest lectureships at conservatories including the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, contributing to academic conferences at Musikhistorisches Museum Wien and symposia organized by ISEA and ISCM.

Category:Austrian pianists Category:Living people Category:1958 births