Gunar Letzbor
, the founder of ARS ANTIQUA AUSTRIA, studied composition, conducting and violin at Linz, Salzburg and Cologne. His encounters with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Reinhard Goebel ignited a deep passion for period instruments and performance practice, lead him to perform extensively with Musica Antiqua Köln, the Clemencic Consort, La Folia Salzburg, Armonico Tributo Basel and the Wiener Akademie.
Gunar Letzbor decided to found his own ensemble, ARS ANTIQUA AUSTRIA, an instrumental ensemble of varying size dedicated in particular in order to explore the rich, but often unjustly forgotten Baroque repertoire of his native country and its neighbours. Corollaries of this voyage of re-discovery have been not only the unexpected detection of musical masterpieces otherwise destined to languish in obscurity, but also the articulation of a uniquely central-European instrumental sound and its often deeply spiritual inspiration.
As a soloist as well as with ARS ANTIQUA AUSTRIA, Letzbor has made numerous recordings (including several world premieres), featuring works by Mozart, Bach, Biber, Muffat, Aufschnaiter, Viviani, Schmelzer, Weichlein, Vejvanovsky, Vilsmayr and Conti. Many of these CDs have received major record awards, including the Cannes Classical Award and Amadeus' Disco dell'Anno. Particulary remarkable was his world's premiere recording of Sonate for violin solo by J.J.Vilsmayr and J.P.Westhoff.
Letzbor has performed at every major baroque music festival in Europe, including the Festival de la Musique Baroque in Ribeauvillé, Festwochen der Alten Musik in Berlin, Festival Printemps des Arts in Nantes, Mozartfest in Würzburg, Tage Alter Musik in Herne, Folles Journées de Nantes, Musee d'Unterlinden Colmar, Flanders Festival, Festival Bach de Lausanne, Bologna Festival, Resonanzen Wien, Klangbogen Wien, Monteverdi Festival in Cremona and at the Munich Staatsoper and the Salzburg Festival. Gunar Letzbor tought at the Musikhochschule in Lübeck (Germany) and Vienna (Austria); furthermore he is a widely respected teacher, giving masterclasses all over Europe.
Audio samples
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern: Sonata VI aus Fidicinium sacro profanum
D. G. Antonio Pandolfi Mealli: Sonate a violino solo
Gregor Werner: Pro Adventu, Cantilena de immaculate Ihr blumenreichen Felder
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