Martin Rasch

Martin Rasch (* 1974 in Straubing ) is a German pianist living in Munich .

Biographical data

Martin Rasch studied at the Munich University of Music and Theater with Rainer Fuchs , Hugo Steurer and Gerhard Oppitz . He also received important suggestions from Alfred Brendel .

In 1991, Martin Rasch was awarded the City of Straubing's Cultural Promotion Prize, and in 1996 he won the 6th AMA Calabria International Piano Competition with a first prize. In 2002 he was awarded the E.ON Culture Promotion Prize for East Bavaria. In 2004 the Free State of Bavaria honored him with the Bavarian Art Prize .

Martin Rasch repeatedly faces particular artistic challenges: for example, he caused a sensation in Munich in 1997 when he performed all 24 of Frédéric Chopin's etudes in one evening . His interpretation of the last three great sonatas by Franz Schubert also attracted particular attention .

As part of the millennium celebrations, he played the five piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven together with the Munich Symphony Orchestra on three evenings . Since this cycle he has worked regularly with this orchestra, including piano concertos by Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmaninow . Another highlight in 2002 was the performance of Chopin's second piano concerto in an open-air concert in the Brunnenhof of the Munich Residence . In December 2005, he played Johannes Brahms' second piano concerto in the sold-out Herkulessaal in Munich.

The works of Ludwig van Beethoven occupy a prominent position in his wide-ranging repertoire. He has repeatedly presented the complete series of 32 piano sonatas, most recently in a celebrated Beethoven cycle in the large concert hall of the Munich University of Music and Theater. The rector of the university, Siegfried Mauser , gave introductory lectures to the concerts. In 2004/05, very successful performances of Beethoven's most important variations followed, including the Eroica Variations and the Diabelli Variations .

The “Organum Classics” label has released a CD with a live recording of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata and Sonata op. 109. A recording of Julius Reubke's piano sonata and various works by Franz Liszt is in preparation. He recorded the piano sonata by the composer and conductor Hans Stadlmair for Bayerischer Rundfunk .

Since 2002 he has been teaching at the University of Music and Theater in Munich. In addition, he repeatedly holds masterclasses, for example a course for Korean piano students in 2003 or a Beethoven course as part of the Munich masterclasses in 2004.

Web links

• Works by and about Martin Rasch in the catalog of the German National Library
• Martin Rasch's website
• University of Music and Theater Munich