Nils Mönkemeyer (born 1978) is a German violist and academic teacher. He has recorded several CDs, of viola literature and arrangements for the viola, making it a respected solo instrument. He has been awarded several international prizes.

Nils Mönkemeyer
Born1978 (age 45–46)
Education
Occupations
  • Violist
  • Academic teacher
Organizations
Awards
Websitewww.nilsmoenkemeyer.com

Career edit

Born in Holzwickede the oldest child of the guitar player Thomas Brendgens-Mönkemeyer and his wife Heidemarie Mönkemeyer, he first studied the violin at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. He switched to the viola in 1997, inspired by chamber music.[1] He studied viola at the Musikhochschule Hannover with Christian Pohl.[2] He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München with Hariolf Schlichtig from 2000,[3] graduating in 2003 with a diploma "mit Auszeichnung".[2] He studied further from 2003 to 2004 at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Veronika Hagen. He took his concert exam with Schlichtig in 2006, again "mit Auszeichnung". [4]

Mönkemeyer first played an Italian viola by Giuseppe Cavaleri from 1742, a loan from the Landessammlung Rheinland-Pfalz. He plays now an instrument built by Peter Erben, Munich.[3] For his first CD, Ohne Worte, he chose songs by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, playing them "without words", accompanied by Nicholas Rimmer. On his second CD, Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, he recorded viola concertos by Antonio Rosetti and Franz Anton Hoffmeister, the Rosetti a premiere recording.[5] He added arrangements of five vocal movements from Bach cantatas, for example the opening aria from the secular cantata for soprano solo Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202.[5]

He was awarded many prizes, including in 2006 both the first prize of the International Yuri Bashmet Competition and the prize of the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb.[3] In 2009 he was appointed professor of viola at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden. He has taught at the Musikhochschule München from 2011.[3]

Awards edit

Recordings edit

  • 2009: Schubert/Mendelssohn/Schumann: Ohne Worte (with Nicholas Rimmer, piano);[5] Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten (with the Dresdner Kapellsolisten, conducted by Helmut Branny)[5]
  • 2010: Brahms/Clara Schumann/Robert Schumann: In dunklen Träumen (with Nicholas Rimmer, piano)[6]
  • 2011: Telemann/Corelli/Bach/Delalande: Folia (with the Kammerakademie Potsdam [de])[7]
  • 2013: Johann Sebastian Bach, Krysztof Penderecki and Marco Hertenstein. Bach und Mehr[8]

References edit

  1. ^ Guballa, Andreas (2 August 2016). "Bratschist Nils Mönkemeyer beim SHMF / Eine Liebe auf den ersten Griff" (in German). Kieler Nachrichten. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Nils Mönkemeyer, Viola / Deutscher Musikwettbewerb 2006" (PDF) (in German). Deutscher Musikwettbewerb. 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nils Mönkemeyer" (in German). Stuttgarter Philharmoniker. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Nils Mönkemeyer "Folia". Telemann, Corelli, Bach, Delalande. Kammerakademie Potsdam" (in German). Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Westfälischen Kulturarbeit. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Theurich, Werner (19 August 2008). "Bratschist Nils Mönkemeyer / Fünf Kantaten für ein Halleluja" (in German). Der Spiegel. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  6. ^ "In dunklen Träumen / Robert Schumann ; Johannes Brahms ; Clara Schumann" (in German). German National Library. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Nils Mönkemeyer "Folia". Telemann, Corelli, Bach, Delalande. Kammerakademie Potsdam" (in German). Radio Swiss Classic. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  8. ^ Kösterke, Doris. "Nils Mönkemeyer: Bach und mehr". Musik der Zeit (in German). Retrieved 11 January 2017.[permanent dead link]

External links edit