CASPAR FRANTZ (Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ Leipzig)
30 November @10.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.00 in A-404
1-2 December @10.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.00 in B-317

Caspar Frantz is a German pianist and Professor of Piano Chamber Music at the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig, where he has taught since 2016.

Born in Kiel, Frantz studied with Matthias Kirschnereit at the Rostock University of Music and Theatre and completed postgraduate studies in chamber music with Eberhard Feltz at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. His artistic development has also been shaped by collaborations with distinguished musicians including Ferenc Rados, Christoph Eschenbach, András Schiff, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and György and Márta Kurtág.

Since his debut at the Rheingau Music Festival, Frantz has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing at festivals including Ravinia, Gstaad, Schleswig-Holstein, and the Beethovenfest Bonn. He has performed at renowned venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, London’s Cadogan Hall, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and the Seoul Arts Center. His orchestral collaborations include the Polish Chamber Philharmonic, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, and Ensemble Kaleidoskop. In 2010, he gave the world premiere of Friedrich von Flotow’s Piano Concerto in C minor with the MDR Symphony Orchestra under Michael Sanderling.

Chamber music plays a central role in Frantz’s artistic career. His longstanding duo with cellist Julian Arp has received first prizes at the Mendelssohn Competition, the Premio Vittorio Gui in Florence, and the German Music Competition. His chamber music partners have also included Sabine Meyer, Antje Weithaas, Bryn Terfel, Anna Prohaska, and the Vogler String Quartet.

Frantz’s recordings include works by Mendelssohn and Bach with Julian Arp, Haydn’s piano concertos with Ensemble Kaleidoskop, Bach’s French Suites, and solo piano works by Robert Schumann. His recordings have received critical acclaim in Germany and internationally.

From 2009 to 2013, Frantz was co-director of the ZEITKUNST Festival for contemporary literature and chamber music in Berlin. He has also served on the juries of international competitions, including the Ishikawa Piano Competition in 2019 and the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig in 2022.