p r e s e n t s

M A R K U S    B E L L H E I M

p i a n i s t

 

Winner of the International Olivier Messiaen Piano Competition in Paris, December 2000

 

 

Markus Bellheim 

 

 

“A great pianist, full of joie de vivre, a new Rubinstein...”

- Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, September 2001

 

 

 

Markus Bellheim was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1973. He began studying the piano at the age of five and played also organ and the clarinet. At fifteen, he went to the Musikschule in Hanover. In 1993, he continued his piano studies in the class of Erich Appel and organ studies with Guenter Kauzinger at the Musikhochschule in Wuerzburg, where he received his piano diploma with distinction. During his training as a soloist, he was also taught the accompaniment of lied by Charles Spencer at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt and at several master-classes by Gundula Janowitz, Hans Hotter and Helmut Deutsch. He was influenced by pianists like Bernd Glemser, Klaus Hellwig and Igor Shukov all of whom he frequented, but his most important meeting was with Yvonne Loriod, with whom he was able to work in Paris in 1998/99 thanks to a bursary awarded by the Cite International des Arts.

 

In December 2000 Markus Bellheim won the First Prize - Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris, and two special prizes (for the best interpretation of Oiseaux exotiques and parts from Catalogue d’Oiseaux) at the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. In 2002 he was appointed to the winner in the category “Discovery of the Year” at  MIDEM Classic in Cannes.

 

Markus Bellheim has performed with orchestras and ensembles like, Muenchner Rundfunkorchester, Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo/Napoli, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Ensemble Itineraire, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Northern Sinfonia,  under conductors like, Sylvain Cambreling, Jan Latham Koenig, Karl Anton Rickenbacher, Hiroshi Wakasugi. The artist has taken part  in many festivals like, Schubertiade Feldkirch, Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Accademia Filharmonica Romana, Dresdner Tage der zeitgenossischer Musik, Nuova Consonanza Roma, Shanghai Music Spring Festival, Bratislava Music Festival... Spring 2003 Bellheim made a big European tour with the Sued-West Rundfunk Orchestra playing the two most important works for piano and orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (Turangalila-Symphonie, and La Transfiguration de notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ).

 

As chamber musician Markus Bellheim has performed with, among others, Sigune von Osten, Armand Angster, Peter Lucas Graf, Accroche Note, Minguet-Quartet. His chamber music activities are often devoted to the accompaniment of lied. The whole Messiaen work for piano solo is presented by the pianist during a highly esteemed cycle of 4 extensive recitals.

 

Markus Bellheim made Radio and TV recordings in several countries. “Mezzo” presented him with a recital in the cycle “Revelation”. The first CD of the artist, released by JADE, includes works by Stravinsky, Liszt, Debussy, Benjamin and Messiaen. The label NEOS has recently issued Bellheim’s two CD’s with all Piano works by Wolfgang Rihm, and announced edition of Piano concerto by Bruno Maderna (with Sinfonieorchester des Hessischen Rundfunks), and the first of the scheduled 7 CD’s with all Piano works by Olivier Messiaen.

 

 

Markus Bellheim

 

 

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, 21 August 1998:

“Mit eiskaltem Gesichtsausdruck und sicherem Gespuer fuer das Wesentliche bei den unortodoxen pianistischen Effekten entfaltete er eine witzig rasselnde Viruositaet von unwiderstehlicher Faszination”

 

LE FIGARO, 20 December 2000:

“L’execution a ete magnifique, stylistiquement parfaite. Bellheim n’a pas vole sa victoire, il l’a emporte  par son assurance, sa maturite et sa maitrise de l’ensemble du repertoire”.

 

PIANISTE, No 6, December 2000:

“Le charisme de Bellheim etait fort impressionant. Il nous a eblouis par une energie, un mystere, une puissance, qui nous ont emmenes au-dela du concours, vers la musique pure...”

 

NEUE RUHR ZEITUNG, 3 May 2002:

“Hochachtung verdient vor allem das phisische und schier unglaubliche musikalische Koennen des jungen Markus Bellheim, derartig riesig dimensionierte, schwierige Werke im Repertoire zu haben und wie selbstverstaendlich ueber Stunden absolut konzentriert und brillant zu spielen”

 

NORTHERN ECHO (Newcastle/Gateshead), 1 March 2008:

“(...) his exchanges with the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra (in Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3) were vigorous and keenly articulated with some thunderous bursts on the keyboard. Bellheim pushed the finale through to a conclusion that was something to behold, as his hands became a veritable blur on keyboard. A thrilled audience was treated to an equally virtuoso rendition of The Russian Dance from Stravinksky's ballet, Petruska”.

 

GAZETA WYBORCZA (Gdansk), 1 December 2008:

„The Star of the evening was Markus Bellheim, who performed the piano part (in Turangalila-Symphonie) unusually professional. His bravura playing, rich in expressiveness, pithy and full of imagination, brought down the house”.

 

THE HUDDERSFIELDER EXAMINER (Leeds/Huddersfield), 24 April 2009:

“Markus Bellheim provided much clarity and purpose, and his tasteful embellishments were all to the good.”

 

 

Markus Bellheim, photo: Armin Fuchs

 

Markus Bellheim on YOUTUBE

 

  Copyright: Biuro Koncertowe Jacek Nędzyński Artists Management.

 

 

 


 e-mail: jacek@nedzynski.com

 

Return to the Artist Roster

 

Return to the opening page