Robert Kolinsky
Robert Kolinsky, pianist and artistic director of the MARTINŮ FESTTAGE, is born in 1970 in Solothurn (Switzerland) and studied in Basel and Prague with Laszlo Gyimesi, Peter Efler and Jan Panenka (Suk-Trio), obtained his diploma as a soloist and was awarded several first prizes. While engaging in further training with György Kurtag and Witold Lutoslawski, he took hammer keyboard study at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Jean Goverts and a master class in conducting with Otto-Werner Müller (Julliard School, Curtis Institute) in Canada.
Robert Kolinsky gives piano recitals and solo performances regularly with orchestras and artists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy and Gustavo Dudamel. He performs duets with Josef Suk, Peter-Lukas Graf, Dimitri Ashkenazy, Veronika Hagen, Alison Balsom, Antonio Meneses and Sasha Rozhdestvensky. Furthermore he performs chamber concerts with drum player Peter Sadlo, oboe player Heinz Holliger, pianist Anna Gourari, the Kremerata Baltica and various string quartets. He appears in Switzerland, abroad and at international festivals such as „Les Muséiques“ under Gidon Kremer and the „Menuhin Festival“ in Gstaad.
Robert Kolinsky has recorded several piano concerts and chamber music works ranging from Bach to Henze for Swiss radio DRS as well as world pemieres of works by Robert Suter and István Hajdu. In autumn 2005, Swiss television, in collaboration with EuroArts, produced a film on chamber music with Heinz Holliger, the Keller Quartet and Robert Kolinsky. Robert Kolinsky is the initiator and artistic director of the MARTINŮ FESTTAGEin Basel. He founded the chamber music group „Ensemble Basilisk“ conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky amongst others. In 2002 he received the Cultural Award from the UBS Cultural Foundation for his outstanding artistic knowledge and experience. As soloist he recorded a CD of Bohuslav Martinů’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 4, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, released by Ondine in November 2009.
