Munich-born violinist Viviane Hagner has won exceptional praise for her highly intelligent musicality and passionate artistry. Typical comments from critics include ‘poise and magnificent assurance’ (The Times) and ‘a spine-chilling recital, an almost hauntingly masterful display of technique and artistry’ (Washington Post), while the Berliner Morgenpost wrote: ‘Listening to Viviane Hagner play the violin is an enchanting experience… she is both a thoughtful and brilliant violinist. In her playing, she knows how to combine reflection and luminosity in the most striking way.’

Since making her international debut at the age of 12, and a year later participating in the legendary ‘joint concert’ of the Israel and Berlin Philharmonics (conducted by Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv),...

Munich-born violinist Viviane Hagner has won exceptional praise for her highly intelligent musicality and passionate artistry. Typical comments from critics include ‘poise and magnificent assurance’ (The Times) and ‘a spine-chilling recital, an almost hauntingly masterful display of technique and artistry’ (Washington Post), while the Berliner Morgenpost wrote: ‘Listening to Viviane Hagner play the violin is an enchanting experience… she is both a thoughtful and brilliant violinist. In her playing, she knows how to combine reflection and luminosity in the most striking way.’

Since making her international debut at the age of 12, and a year later participating in the legendary ‘joint concert’ of the Israel and Berlin Philharmonics (conducted by Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv), Viviane Hagner has acquired a depth and maturity in her playing that is reflected in her serene stage presence. She has appeared with the world’s great orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Czech Philharmonic, the Bavarian State, the Chicago Symphony and the Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestras, in partnership with conductors such as Abbado, Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Chailly and Eschenbach. Recent concert highlights include appearances with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel, the Boston Symphony under Charles Dutoit, the Munich Philharmonic with Hugh Wolff, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Alexander Briger and a tour with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Mario Venzago.

As well as bringing insight and virtuosity to the central concerto repertoire, Viviane Hagner is an ardent advocate of new, neglected and undiscovered music. Composers whose work she champions include Sofia Gubaidulina, Karl Amadeus Hartmann and Witold Lutoslawski. In 2002 she gave the world premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano, later taking the work to the US. After the premiere of Simon Holt’s new Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Nott in 2006, The Sunday Times critic wrote that she ‘caught the music’s soul.’
A committed chamber musician, she has performed at renowned international festivals including Salzburg Easter Festival, Schleswig-Holstein, Marlboro, Ravinia and New York’s Mostly Mozart; and has appeared at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Barcelona Palau de la Musica, Berlin Konzerthaus, Köln Philharmonie, London’s Wigmore Hall and New York’s 92nd St Y series.

Viviane Hagner plays the Sasserno Stradivarius built in 1717, generously loaned to her by the Nippon Music Foundation.