Diemut Poppen

Diemut Poppen is one of the most outstanding violists of her generation. The times: ” Diemut Poppen is one of the Artist we would like to hear more often in London”. Born into a musical family in Germany she started playing the violin at the age of seven, giving her first concerts as a soloist at the age of nine. She learned several instruments of which the viola became her favorite. Diemut Poppen studied in Düsseldorf, Aachen, Cologne, Berlin, Bloomington (USA) and Paris. Amongst her teachers were the finest violists of her time: Y.Bashmet, K.Kashkashian, B.Giuranna, H.Schlichtig, P.Schidlof from the Amadeus-Quartet. Nowadays, Diemut Poppen is one of the most sought after violists, playing concerts worldwide. As a soloist and chamber musician she has appeared in the most important music centres around the world. C.Abbado, A.Schiff, G.Kremer, L.Kavakos, N.Gutman, A.Chaushian, JM Pires.

Diemut Poppen performed as a soloist under the baton of conductors such as Claudio Abbado (Carnegie Hall, NY.). She has been awarded the European Music Prize. She has been artistic director of several chamber music festivals, currently of Cantabile Festival Lisboa and Rigi Musiktage/Switzerland. Diemut Poppen was co-principal viola in Lucerne Festival Orchestra and principal viola and a founding member of The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Poppen’s repertory is exceptionally wide. It spans from the classical viola concertos to all combinations of chamber music as well as contemporary music. Several composers have written new pieces for her. Diemut Poppen has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Capriccio, Live classics, EMI, Tudor, Ondine and BIS. Diemut Poppen is Professor for Viola and Chamber Music at Freiburg Musikhochschule, the Escuela de Musica Reina Sofia Madrid and at Zhdk Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. Her students are always successful and win important positions in European orchestras and professorships in universities.