Ragna Schirmer

German pianist

Pianist
Academic teacher

OrganizationsHochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst MannheimAwardsInternational Johann Sebastian Bach CompetitionWebsitewww.ragnaschirmer.de

Ragna Schirmer (born 1972) is a German classical pianist and academic teacher.^[1] She is focused on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and won the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition twice.

Life

Born in Hildesheim, from 1991 Schirmer studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover. From 1993, she continued her studies in Paris with Bernard Ringeissen. In 1995 she completed her studies with a diploma (with top marks), and in 1999 she completed her soloist training with a concert exam. Since then she has taken part in several master classes. From 2001 to 2011 Schirmer was professor of piano at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim,^[2] and today promotes young talents in Halle.^[3]

Schirmer received a scholarship from both Deutscher Musikrat and the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes. She is the only pianist to have won the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig twice,^[4] in 1992 and 1998.^[1] As her first CD, she released a recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations in 2000. This and other CDs have received awards in professional music journals. She was artist in residence in Heidelberg in 2010. In 2012 she was honoured with the Handel Prize of Halle,^[4] and in 2019 she received – together with the musicologist Janina Klassen – the Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Biography on Bach Cantatas Website
^ "Ragna Schirmer: "Eine Frau tickt anders als ein Mann, das ist Gottseidank so"". Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (in German). Leipzig. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
^ Dürer, Carsten (2014). "Kreative Wertschöpfung aus der Erfahrung: Ragna Schirmer und ihre CD-Projekte". Piano News (in German). Vol. 1. pp. 32–36. ISSN 1434-3592.
^ ^a ^b Schreiber, Manuela (7 June 2012). "Händel-Festspiele Quacksalber muss beichten". Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (in German). Halle. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
^ "Schumann-Preis für Ragna Schirmer und Janina Klassen". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2019.

External links

Official website (in German)
Ragna Schirmer discography at Discogs
Theurich, Werner (18 March 2009). "Klaviervirtuosin Ragna Schirmer: Aufforderung zum Tanz". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
"Ragna Schirmer erneut zu Gast bei Haydns: "Fahren Sie mit dem Auto oder mit der Kutsche?"". klassik.com. March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2019.