Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Divertissement à la hongroise, D. 818 (1824)
I. Largo - Allegro
II. Andante molto
III. Allegro vivace
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Variations in D major on a Theme by Th. Moore, WN 5 (1826)
Theme: Andante
Variations I-V
Finale: Presto
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)
Six Pieces, Op. 11 (1893)
I. Barcarolle
II. Scherzo
III. Russian Song
IV. Waltz
V. Romance
VI. Slava
Magdalena Hirsz, a Polish pianist of Asian heritage, captivates audiences with her refined musicianship and profound sensitivity. After studying at the conservatories of Geneva, Warsaw, Vienna and Łódź, she built a broad repertoire ranging from classical works to contemporary compositions.
She has recorded two solo albums: one devoted to Robert Schumann and the other, Sounds of Mind, exploring more introspective musical dimensions. As a soloist, she has collaborated with internationally renowned orchestras in Poland, including the Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra in Bydgoszcz, the Polish National Radio Orchestra in Warsaw and the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In chamber music, she regularly performs in duos and trios with prominent artists including Martha Argerich, Akiko Ebi, Jakub Jakowicz and Loan Cazal, to name but a few.
Alongside her concert career, Magdalena Hirsz is dedicated to teaching. She currently teaches at the F. Chopin Institute in Switzerland and is director of the Jeune Chopin Competition in Lugano, which promotes emerging young talent.
Brigitte Meyer
For Brigitte Meyer, music represents a privileged dialogue of spiritual essence, a true rite of communion between human beings. Placing her natural and inward musicianship, the quality of her phrasing and the intensity of her rhythm at the service of this conviction, Brigitte Meyer is a pianist who reveals the hidden meaning of the works she performs.
Born in Biel, Switzerland, she gave her first concert at the age of 11. She pursued outstanding studies with Denise Bidal in Lausanne and later with Bruno Seidlhofer at the Vienna Academy of Music, where she obtained the Reifeprüfung and the Bösendörfer Prize in 1971. In 1975 she was the first finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition in Vevey.
Brigitte Meyer has participated in numerous international festivals including the Wiener Festwochen, Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, Montreux Festival, La Roque d'Anthéron International Piano Festival, Lucerne Festival, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival in Brescia, St. Moritz Musikfestival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Primavera Musicale Festival in Rome and Hakuba Festival in Japan.
She has performed in prestigious halls throughout Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Japan: the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Tonhalle in Zurich, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Sala Verdi in Milan, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Nyavara Cultural Centre in Tehran, Hafez Hall in Shiraz and Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo. In 1986, her tour of Japan was sponsored by the Asaki newspaper and Mitsukoshi department stores.
As a soloist, in Switzerland she has performed with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Basel and Bern Symphony Orchestras, the Tonhalle Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, Winterthur Stadtorchester, St. Galler Sinfonieorchester, Aargauer Sinfonieorchester, the chamber orchestras of Lausanne, Bern and Zurich, and the Lausanne Sinfonietta.
In Germany she has performed with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Siegerland Orchester, Solisten der Berliner Philharmoniker, NDR Sinfonieorchester and Potsdamer Kammerakademie.
In Austria, with the Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Kammerorchester and Camerata Salzburg.
In France, with the Orchestre de chambre de Toulon and Orchestre de chambre d'Auvergne.
In Italy, with the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia and the Orchestra of Padua.
She has also performed with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Chamber Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest, Radio Kammerorchester of Hilversum, Wiener Kammerorchester of Budapest, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and I Musici de Montréal.
She has performed under conductors including Pinkas Steinberg, Horst Stein, Tibor Varga, Armin Jordan, Okko Kamu, Thomas Sanderling, Iona Brown, Dennis Russell-Davies, Milan Horvat, Jesús López-Cobos, Michel Corboz, Edmond de Stoutz, Paul Sacher, Jean-Marie Auberson, Wolf-Dieter Hauschild, Victor Desarzens, René Klopfenstein, Hervé Klopfenstein, Thierry Fischer, Reto Tschupp, Matthias Aeschbacher, Lovro von Matačić, Michel Plasson, Bernhard Klee, Peter Maag, Christoph Müller, Roberto Benzi and Yuli Turovsky.
With a particular love for chamber music, she has performed with Martha Argerich, Maria João Pires, Alexandre Rabinovitch, Eva Graubin, Ana Chumachenko, Heinrich Schiff, Gérard Wyss, Philippe Racine, Marçal Cervera, Hansheinz Schneeberger, Giulia Stuler, Christoph Schiller, Luigi Alberto Bianchi, Wolfram Assmann, Thomas Demenga, Patrick Demenga, Eugenia Zukerman, Bijan Khadem-Missagh, Erez Ofer, François Guy, Tibor Varga, Jean Piguet, Thomas Füri, Pablo Loerkens and Pierre Amoyal, as well as ensembles including the Prazak Quartet of Prague, Auer Quartet of Budapest, Quatuor Sine Nomine of Lausanne and Fine Arts Quartet.
She has also successfully taken part in lieder recitals, including performances with Hugues Cuénod, Eric Tappy, Philippe Huttenlocher, Brigitte Fournier, Brigitte Balleys and Hiroko Kawamichi.
Brigitte Meyer’s repertoire is extremely broad, ranging from Bach to contemporary composers. Regarded as a first-rate Mozart interpreter, she has a particular affinity for Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Janáček and Ravel.
The dedicatee of Jean Perrin’s Piano Concerto, she recorded it in Berlin in August 2007 with the Potsdamer Kammersymphonie under Jean-François Antonioli.
Her discography also includes:
Brigitte Meyer taught for more than 20 years in the professional classes of the Lausanne Conservatory / Haute École de Musique, where she conveyed the same humanistic and spiritual values that guide her musical activity.
She has also given masterclasses in Tokyo, Tehran and Uttwil, on the shores of Lake Constance in Switzerland.
Orchestras: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Berner Sinfonieorchester, Basler Sinfonieorchester, Orchestra di Santa Cecilia di Roma, Orchestra di Padova, Orchestra Radio Hilversum, NDR-Sinfonieorchester, Orchestra della RTSI, Prager Symphoniker, Prager Kammerorchester, Solisten der Berliner Philharmoniker, Canadian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Toulouse Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Stockholmer Kammerorchester, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Camerata Bern, I Musici de Montréal, Wiener Kammerorchester, etc.
Conductors: Armin Jordan, Jost Meier, Dennis Russell-Davies, Lovro von Matačić, Horst Stein, Okko Kamu, Bernhard Klee, Thomas Sanderling, Paul Sacher, Edmond de Stoutz, Howard Griffiths, Jesús López-Cobos, Anton Nanut, Karl Österreicher, Peter Maag, Jean-Marie Auberson.
Venues: Wiener Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, Palau de la Música Barcelona, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Bunka Kaikan Tokyo, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid, Sala Verdi Milan, Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Place des Arts Montréal, Stuttgarter Philharmonie, Victoria Hall Geneva, Tonhalle Zurich, Salle Gaveau Paris, Grand Auditorium de Radio France Paris.
Festivals: Montreux, Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein, La Roque d'Anthéron, Meiringen, Barcelona, Wiener Festwochen, Primavera Musicale Rome.
Collaborations: Duo with Martha Argerich, Alexander Rabinovitch, Maria João Pires, Pascal Godart, Gérard Wyss, Heinrich Schiff, Danjulo Ishizaka, Patrick Demenga, Patrice Fontanarosa, Hansheinz Schneeberger, Fine Arts Quartet and Prazak Quartet.