Tabea Zimmermann

Born in 1966 in Lahr in Baden, Germany, Tabea Zimmermann began taking viola lessons at the age of three and commenced studies with Ulrich Koch at the Freiburg Musikhochschule in 1979, completing her training with Sándor Végh at the Salzburg Mozarteum in 1986–87.  She won the Concours de Genève in 1982, the Concours Maurice Vieux in Paris in 1983, and the Budapest Music Competition in 1984. She was immediately engaged as a soloist with many renowned orchestras. Tabea Zimmermann has been an artist-in-residence with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since 2022, she has also been an Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Alongside her solo performances, she values chamber music greatly, performing with such musicians as clarinetist Jörg Widmann, pianist Javier Perianes, and the Belcea Quartet. Another central focus of her work is contemporary music – many new compositions have been written especially for her, including works by György Ligeti, Heinz Holliger, Wolfgang Rihm, Georges Lentz, Enno Poppe, and Michael Jarrell. Tabea Zimmermann is also deeply committed to the music of Paul Hindemith, serving as President of the Hindemith Foundation and receiving the Paul Hindemith Prize from the city of Hanau. Her many honors include the Frankfurt Music Prize, the Hessian Culture Prize, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and, in 2023, honorary membership in the German Music Council. Since 2023, she has also chaired the Board of Trustees of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, which three years earlier had awarded her the Siemens Music Prize. At just 21 years of age, Tabea Zimmermann was appointed professor at the Saarbrücken University of Music. Following teaching positions in Frankfurt and at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, she returned in 2023 to teach at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. She also shares her passion for music with young musicians at the Kronberg Academy.

Lucerne Festival debut on 3 September 2019 playing Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Tugan Sokhiev.

March 2025