British Violinist Daniel Hope Is Named as Next President of Beethoven-Haus Bonn
Daniel Hope – “one of the most charismatic violinists in the world” (Classic FM) – has been named as the next President of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association. Chosen by election at the organization’s annual general meeting earlier this week, the British violinist will succeed current incumbent Tabea Zimmermann in 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Hope also serves as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Dresden Frauenkirche, and Music Director of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra, which he is currently leading on its inaugural European tour.
Hope comments:
“It is a great pleasure for me to accept the result of this vote. For me, Beethoven is the equivalent of Mount Everest in music history. To have the opportunity to work closely with the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, an institution not only rich in tradition but also at the very heart of Beethoven research, and which is linked so closely to my idol Joseph Joachim, is an honor.”
Malte Boecker, Director of the Beethoven-Haus, looks forward to working with Hope to shape the institution’s future. He explains:
“Daniel Hope is globally appreciated for his musical achievements and for raising the public’s awareness of music. With him as President, we will continue to share our message, establish global networks, and explore new target audiences.”
About Daniel Hope
Born in South Africa and currently living in Berlin, British violinist Daniel Hope believes in breaking down the barriers that separate individuals, communities, and nations. Since making his name as the youngest member of the Beaux Arts Trio, he has turned his focus to his solo career, performing with the world’s major orchestras and conductors and directing many ensembles from the violin, besides playing chamber music in a wide variety of new and traditional venues.
In 2016-17, Hope succeeded Roger Norrington as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and this season he launched his tenure as Music Director of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra. He and the orchestra are now completing a European tour – the first in the orchestra’s history – featuring performances at such prestigious German and Polish festivals and venues as the Essen Philharmonie, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festspiele, Kissinger Sommer, Filharmonia Szczecin, and the Frauenkirche Dresden, or Church of Our Lady.
Earlier this year, Hope returned for his 16th and final season as Associate Artistic Director of Georgia’s Savannah Music Festival, and became Artistic Director of the Dresden Frauenkirche, which he considers not only a place of worship but also a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and tolerance. A musical activist who engages in many musical and social areas, he has presented a weekly radio show on Germany’s WDR3 public station since 2016, besides publishing four books and hosting a concert-lecture series at the Berlin Konzerthaus. His achievements have been recognized with a string of honors including the European Culture Prize for Music (2015) and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2017).
About the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association
To preserve Beethoven’s life, work, and heritage, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association was founded in 1889, with legendary Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim as its honorary president. Today, the association represents the world’s leading Beethoven center. Built around the composer’s birthplace, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn houses a museum containing the world’s most important Beethoven collection, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year, as well as a scientific research department dedicated to music, complete with its own library and publishing house, and the Hermann J. Abs chamber hall. Thanks to the engagement and support of the German government, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Rhineland Regional Council, the city of Bonn, and 900 friends, patrons, and members from more than 20 countries, the association undertakes multiple cultural initiatives of national and international importance. In 2016 the non-profit institution Beethoven Jubiläums Gesellschaft was founded under the umbrella of the Beethoven-Haus Foundation to coordinate and promote Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020.
Hope’s predecessor, renowned violist, chamber musician, and teacher Tabea Zimmermann, assumed office from conductor Kurt Masur in 2013. When she steps down, she and Spanish music dramaturge Luis Gago, with whom she established the annual “BTHVN WEEK” chamber festival, will serve as honorary members of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association.
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© 21C Media Group, June 2019