Ralf Gothóni
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Biography
Ralf Georg Nils Gothóni (born 2 May 1946, Rauma) is a Finnish-German pianist and conductor. He is also active as a chamber musician, professor, composer, and author. Born in Rauma, Finland he made his orchestra debut at age 15. Besides his worldwide concert career he has made some 100 recordings with major labels. He often performs in a double role conducting from the keyboard. Ralf Gothóni studied the piano from the age of five, first with Tapani Valsta and later with Ervin László. Gothóni mentions Sviatoslav Richter and Arthur Rubinstein as models for him.
One of the first landmarks in Gothóni's career was the 1977 Schubertiade in Helsinki: forty Finnish singers performed circa 450 lieder by Franz Schubert. Gothóni has appeared as a lied pianist with such singers as Jorma Hynninen, Martti Talvela, Arleen Augér, Edith Mathis, Anne Sofie von Otter, Ileana Cotrubas, Peter Schreier, and Barbara Hendricks. He appeared in lied concerts until the middle of the 1990s and since that has concentrated on solo and chamber concerts and orchestral conducting. Gothóni was the artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival from 1984 to 1987. He created the Forbidden City Music Festival in Beijing in 1996 and the "Musical Bridge EgyptâFinland" in 2007. He was professor of chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin 1996â2000, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki 1992â2007, the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg 1986â1996 and 2006â2012 at the Instituto International da Camara, Reina Sofia, Madrid. Gothóni has made a significant contribution to the education of young musicians through Savonlinna Music Academy where he has served as artistic director. He was principal conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra from 2000 to 2009. Since 2004, he has been the guest conductor of the Deutsche Kammerakademie. In 2008 he was one of the jury members in the Sviatoslav Richter International Piano Competition and in 2012 in the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition.
In the United States, Gothóni was music director of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra (Seattle) from 2002 until 2006. His initial appearance with the orchestra in 2001 was highly acclaimed and led to his appointment in Seattle. In 2006 he resigned in the context of financial pressures on the orchestra. The orchestra was later dissolved.
Gothóni's awards include the Finnish Pro Finlandia in 1990 and the Gilmore Artist Award in 1994. In 2012 he received the Queen SofÃa College of Music award from Her Majesty Queen of Spain. He has recorded for various labels, including BIS, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Cpo and Ondine, such works as Benjamin Britten's Piano Concerto, Heitor Villa-Lobos' Choros XI, and the first and second piano concertos of Einojuhani Rautavaara. His writings include Luova hetki (The Creative Moment, 1998), "Pyöriikö kuu" ("Does the moon rotate", 2001), "Flyygelin kanssa" ("With the grand piano", 2004) and "Hämähäkki" ("The Spider", 2014). His compositions include three chamber operas, chamber concerto for viola and chamber ensemble ("Peregrina"), concerto for piano 4-hands and the cantata The Ox and its Shepherd. Gothóni is married to the violist Suzan Saber.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D.845 - 2. Andante, poco mosso
- Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D.845 - 1. Moderato
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 9. Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 3. Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D.845 - 4. Rondo (Allegro vivace)
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 10. Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Valse lente
- Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D.845 - 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace)
- Rachmaninoff: Christ Is Risen, Op. 26 No. 6 by Ralf Gothóni
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schubert: Fantasia for Piano in C, D.760 (Op. 15) "Wanderer-Fantasie" - 2. Adagio
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 2. Aus meinen Tränen sprieÃen featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schubert: Fantasia for Piano in C, D.760 (Op. 15) "Wanderer-Fantasie" - 1. Allegro con fuoco, ma non troppo
- Schubert: Sonatina for Violin and Piano No. 2 in A minor, D.385 - 3. Menuetto and Trio (Allegro) featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 16 - III. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
- Merikanto: Pai, pai, paitaressu, Op. 2 No. 1
- Piano Quintet in E flat major, K. 452 - II. Larghetto
- Waltz Op.34 No.1 [Valssi]
- Brahms: 4 Ernste Gesänge, Op. 121 - 1. Denn es gehet dem Menschen featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Schubert : Violin Sonata in A major D574, 'Grand Duo' : III Andantino by Ralf Gothóni
- Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - 16. Die alten, bösen Lieder featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Brahms: 4 Ernste Gesänge, Op. 121 - 3. O Tod, wie bitter bist du featuring Ralf Gothóni
- Brahms: 4 Ernste Gesänge, Op. 121 - 2. Ich wandte mich und sahe featuring Ralf Gothóni
