WOLFGANG MANZ

Wolfgang Manz, born in 1960, is prizewinner of many prestigious international piano competitions such as Leeds (1981) and Brussels (Concours Reine Elisabeth, 1983), the first time that a German pianist won 2^nd prizes in these competitions, furthermore winner of the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Prize Berlin 1980, 2^nd prize at the National German Music Competition in Bonn 1982 and a jury discretionary award in the 1989 Van Cliburn International Pianoforte Competition in Texas/USA .

Wolfgang Manz has been influenced by two very different traditions: his basic pianistic education he received by the Czech pianist Drahomir Toman, a representative of the Eastern European school originating from Theodor Leschetizky, whereas he adapted elements of the German tradition at the renowned University of Music at Hanover in the class of Prof. Karlheinz Kämmerling, a descendant of Hugo Steurer and Robert Teichmüller.

Since his success at famous competitions Wolfgang Manz has been much in demand as soloist with orchestras, in solo recitals and chamber music. His repertoire includes more than 50 concertos with orchestra and an extensive solo and chamber music programme ranging from Bach to Contemporary Music.

In the 80-ies he performed with well-known orchestras and conductors, particularly with British orchestras as the English Chamber, Royal Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra (appearance at the London “Prom” concerts 1984 with Brahms 1^st piano concerto).

In Germany Manz was soloist with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the „Radiophilharmonie“ Hanover, the “Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle” Bonn, the Düsseldorf Symphony and the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

Concert tours took him to cultural centres such as Cologne (Philharmonie), Berlin (Philharmonie), Hamburg (Laeiz-Hall), Munich (Herkulessaal), Salzburg (Festspielhaus), Frankfurt (Alte Oper), Brussels (Palais des Beaux-Arts), London (South Bank), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Tokyo (Suntory Hall), Moscow (Conservatory), Santiago de Chile (Teatro municipal) .

The following CD productions with Wolfgang Manz are currently available on the market : ARTE NOVA (Brahms piano concertos), CHANDOS Records (Dohnanyi piano quintet with the Gabrieli string quartet) and TELOS Records (Brahms late piano pieces and concertos for piano and orchestra by Debussy, Hindemith, Radermacher), in piano duet THOROFON (pieces by Schubert, Liszt. Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninow for 4 hands and 2 pianos) and TELOS (Beethoven-Liszt 9^th symphony and Russian Music for 2 pianos).

Together with his compatriote Rolf Plagge - also prizewinner at the Concours Reine Elisabeth in Brussels - Wolfgang Manz founded a piano duet in 1988 which has performed frequently in Europe as well as in South America (Chile) and Central America (Mexico).

Since 1986 Wolfgang Manz is regularly involved in ballet productions at the opera houses in Zurich, Leipzig , Munich, Berlin, Dresden and Karlsruhe, where he takes an important function as piano soloist in choreographies by Uwe Scholz (Rachmaninow 3rd piano concerto and Mozart „Jeunehomme“ concerto“, Ballet Leipzig), John Neumeier (Chopin in „Kameliendame“ with the Bavarian State Ballet Munich) and Davide Bombana (Strawinsky „Sacre du printemps“ in a version for 2 pianos at the “Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe”).

Apart from his career as soloist Wolfgang Manz has gained much recognition as pedagogue. He has given masterclasses in Belgium, Austria and South Corea; during the years 1986-1999 he annually led pianistic seminars at the “International Masterclasses” in Trier/Germany.

From 1994-1998 Manz held a teaching position at the University of Music at Karlsruhe. In 2000 Manz was guest professor at the Ferris - University in Yokohama / Japan for one term. In the same year he was appointed ordinary professor for piano at the University of Music Nürnberg-Augsburg (from 2008 “University of Music Nürnberg”).

Since that time Manz has been soloist with German orchestras in Nuremberg, Rostock, Göttingen, Halle, Baden-Baden and Bielefeld. In 2005 he was soloist at the renowned „Festival d´Echternach“ in Luxemburg with Mendelssohn`s 1st piano concerto.

Wolfgang Manz is recently sought after as adjudicator in national and international piano competitions, for example at the German National Music Competition in Bonn (2001), at the Walter Gieseking piano competition in Saarbrücken (2007), at the International Competition for Young Pianists Ettlingen (2006 und 2010), at the Rachmaninow competitions in Moscow and Darmstadt (2008), and at the 2009 Georges Enescu - Competition in Bucarest.

Many of his students have already won major prizes at the Leeds, Hongkong, Iturbi/Spain, “Tomassoni”/ Cologne, Wiesbaden international piano competitions.