Clemens
Zeilinger

Clemens ZEILINGER was born in Vienna and first studied piano at the Brucknerkonservatorium in Linz, then at the Vienna University of Music. He took classes with Roland Keller, Heinz Medjimorec, Peter Barcaba and Anton Voigt and attended master classes with L. Hokanson, O. Maisenberg, L. Hoffmann and A. Jasinski.

Zeilinger won prizes at various international competitions, at the European Youth Music Festival in Antwerp, the Vienna Beethoven Competition, the European Chamber Music Competition in the Hague, at Jugend musiziert and he received several Boesendorfer scholarships.

He gave concerts in Europe, Japan, Korea, Iran and the Oman and worked as a soloist with many renowned orchestras (Niederoesterreichische Tonkuenstler, Brucknerorchester Linz, Suedboehmische Philharmonie, Orchrestra of the Royal College of London, Philharmony Zagreb, Philharmonices Mundi...). Much of his time is taken up with chamber music (member of the TrioVanBeethoven, which recorded very successfully the complete opera of Beethovens piano-trio compositions) and musical accompaniment (esp. for singers).

Mr. Zeilinger is also well-known for breaking with the traditional mode of concerts by trying to make contact with the audience at the beginning of the concert, for instance by means of a personal introduction to the respective piano pieces / concertos. This includes a presentation of the musical motifs and relevant background or raising issues with regard to the often contentious interpretation of particular parts of a specific concert. As a musical interpreter he establishes closer rapport with the audience by opening up his very own way of interpretation: „It is important for me to avoid bored audiences simply leafing through printed programmes.“ In 2008 he attracted wide attention for performing all 32 Beethoven-piano-sonatas for piano solo within three months, in this year he became „Artist of the year“ of the most important radio-broadcaster of Austria (Ö1).

Mr. Zeilinger also teaches at the Vienna University of Music and the Bruckner University in Linz.