Oliver Rau, a versatile artist known for his soulful sound and his human communicative approach of playing, made his first appearance as a soloist with orchestra at the age of 14 performing the violin concerto of Wenzel Pichl. He appeared with various orchestras since then. In 2017, he performed as a soloist with world-renowned conductor and former assistant of Leonard Bernstein Uri Segal, accompanied by the Brunensis Virtuosi Orchestra. A highlight of the year 2016 has been his debut with Danube Symphony Orchestra, one of the leading Hungarian symphony orchestras, performing the violin concerto by Johannes Brahms under the baton of its principal conductor András Deák. The orchestra invited him again for the season 2019 to play the Tschaikowsky violin concerto. In November 2017 he performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto in the big hall of the legendary Laeiszhalle with the Hamburg Orchestra Collective under Frank Zenk. He performed the Mendelssohn concerto with Hamburg Camerata. In the last seasons, he worked several times with the YoungStringsForum-Orchestra, conducted by Tomasz Lukasiewicz. In September and December 2016, he performed the Mendelssohn concerto 20 times accompanied by the Canea String Quartet.
Oliver performes both at home and abroad in prestigious concert halls such as Laieszhalle Hamburg, Salle de Notari in Perugia, Vienna hall und Solitär
Mozarteum, Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg, Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg or Danube Palace in Budapest and many more.
OIiver Rau has won several national and international prizes in various competitions such as the International Postacchini Competition, the SINFONIMA-Foundation,
the International Mendelssohn Festival Competition and the National German Youth Competition ”Jugend Musiziert“, including a 1st prize at national
level for violin solo in 2013, a 1st prize at national level for violin duo in 2011, the audience award at the laureate concert (broadcasted on north german radio) and also a 1st prize for piano
accompaniment. Some of his latest successes have been winning 1st prize at the International Danube Concerto Violin Competition 2016 and 2nd Prize at the International Competition Rovere D´Oro
2017 among others.
Oliver performs at numerous international renowned festivals. In 2016, he was accepted as one of very few participants for the world-renowned International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove in
Cornwall/England (President Sir Simon Rattle) where he worked with Gerhard Schulz (formerly Alban-Berg-Quartet). Oliver participated in the Danube International Concerto Masterclass in Budapest where
he worked with Nadja Nevolowitsch (former assistant of Igor Oistrach). Moreover, he got an invitation to the international Moritzburg-Festival, where he performed with renowned musicians such as the
violinist Mira Wang and others at the connected workshop “Meisterschüler-Meister". Furthermore he appeared at International Music Fest Perugia, and he took part in the International Mendelssohn
Summer School Festival repeatedly.
Oliver´s teachers include Maxim Vengerov, Zakhar Bron, Vadim Repin, Donald Weilerstein, Pierre Amoyal and Silvia Marcovici.
In addition to his solo activity, Oliver is an active chamber musician and he played and performed in various ensembles. Currently he founded a piano quartet and a piano quintet. He recieved artistic devices in chamber music from Rainer Schmidt, William Coleman, Jan Vogler among others. He is also conversant with Baroque playing.
Oliver performed with internationally renowned artists such as Vilde Frang, Benjamin Schmid, Mira Wang, Antti Siirala, Christoph Schickedanz, Roland Glassl, John Chen, Yorck Felix Speer Niklas
Schmidt, Markus Nyikos (Gililov-Quartet) and members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
His playing has been broadcasted several times on German radio (NDR Kultur). Moreover he appeared several times in German television. In 2016 he was an
acto´s double playing the violin at the Thriller „Das Programm“ which appears regularly on ARD.
As an orchestral player Oliver gained experience as the Concert Master of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg, performing in the main concert halls in Hamburg, including playing for the Federal President of Germany, Joachim Gauck. Furthermore, he played with the symphony orchestra of the University of Music and Drama Hamburg and of the Mozarteum Salzburg under Bruno Weil, in leading positions as well. At the IOIA 2019 in Attergau he performed together with several members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a sought-after concertmaster in north germany he performs regularly with the Johann Adoph Hasse Chamber Orchestra and the Ensemble Hansebögen among others.
August 2021 he won an academy position at the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, where he performs on stage with the greatest condutors and soloist.
A particular emphasis for Oliver are the six Sonatas and Partitas by Johann Sebastian Bach, which he already performed entirely at the age of 24. A continous pursuit with these works at various levels and in search of a mix of logical thoughts, sensitivity and joy of playing shapes his interpretation.
In 2011 and 2013, Oliver was recipient of the scholarship from the Marie-Luise Imbusch foundation, Lübeck. After winning the instrumental competiton of the SINFONIMA-Foundation he had the chance to play on a violin made by famous french violin maker Nicolas Lupot, Paris 1815, a loan for a few years. For his outstanding achievements he was honored several times by the district of Pinneberg, described as a "shining example" for other young people. Among others he got the "prize of the district president" in 2013. In 2018 he was awarded the district´s cultural award.
Oliver was born near Hamburg in 1994. He received his first violin lessons at the age of six and began his studies at the University of Music and Drama in Hamburg at the age of 16 as a
full-scholarship student of the pre-college devision (Andreas Franke Academy) under Prof. Christoph Schickedanz. In October 2014 he continued his studies with Christoph Schickedanz at
the University of Music and Drama Hamburg, pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree. He received his Master of Music degree under Prof. Lily Francis at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Currently he studies at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg as a Postgraduate-Student under Prof. Rainer Schmidt. He receives lessons regularly from Maxim Vengerov.
Oliver is also a professional pianist. Besides playing the great repertoire for this instrument like for example Beethovens second piano concerto or the "Pathétique", he is a sought-after piano
accompanist, performing with several instrumentalists and singers in concerts and competitions.
German Bio (short)
Oliver Rau, ein vielseitiger Künstler, der für seinen beseelten Ton sowie für sein menschliches und kommunikatives Musizieren bekannt ist, gab sein Debut als Solist
mit Orchester im Alter von 14 Jahren und musiziert seitdem im In- und Ausland in bedeutenden Konzerthäusern mit Klangkörpern wie dem Danube Symphony Orchestra, dem Brunensis Virtuosi Orchestra, der
Hamburger Camerata und vielen anderen mit international bekannnten Dirigenten wie u.a. Uriel Segal und András Déak.
Er erhielt zahlreiche nationale und internationale Auszeichnungen, wie u.a. den 1. Preis beim International Danube Concerto Violin Competition 2016 in Budapest, mehrmals den 1. Preis beim
Bundeswettbewerb „Jugend musiziert“, einen Sonderpreis beim renommierten „International Postacchini Competition“ u.v.a. Er ist regelmäßiger Teilnehmer international renommierter Festivals.
Künstlerische Anregungen erhielt Oliver von Zakhar Bron, Vadim Repin und Donald Weilerstein.
Zu seinen Musizierpartnern gehören Vilde Frang, Benjamin Schmid sowie Mitglieder der Wiener Philharmoniker.
Oliver ist mehrfacher Stipendiat der Marie-Luise-Imbusch-Stiftung sowie der SINFONIMA-Stiftung, die ihm eine Violine von Nicolas Lupot zur Verfügung stellte.
Orchestererfahrung sammelte Oliver in zahlreichen Orchestern und ist in Norddeutschland gefragter Konzertmeister. Seit August 2021 ist er Akademist des NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchesters, wo er mit den weltbesten Dirigenten und Solisten auftritt.
1994 in Pinneberg geboren, erhielt er seinen ersten Geigenunterricht im Alter von sechs Jahren. Von 2010 bis 2014 war er Jungstudent an der Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, wo er als Stipendiat im Rahmen der Andreas Franke Akademie von Prof. Christoph Schickedanz unterrichtet wurde. Im Jahr 2018 erhielt er bei Prof. Christoph Schickedanz an der Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg seinen Bachelor of Music. Seinen Master of Arts erhielt er im Jahr 2021 am Salzburger Mozarteum bei Prof. Lily Francis. Momentan studiert er im Postgraduate-Sutdiengang am Mozarteum bei Prof. Rainer Schmidt.
Oliver ist außerdem auch ein gefragter Pianist.
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