|
Born in Hamburg in 1973, Markus Bellheim already received a comprehensive musical education in his early days. As well as playing the piano he has also played the organ and the clarinet for a very long time. As a scholarship holder of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (highly reputed German foundation) he attended the academy of music in Hannover, Frankfurt am Main and ultimately graduated in Würzburg in 1998 with a first class degree with distinction. In 2000, he completed his master class performance diploma as a pupil of Erich Appel. Musical influences also came from Bernd Glemser, Klaus Hellwig, Igor Shukov and Claude Helffer. However, musically decisive was the meeting with Yvonne Loriod, who influenced his studies as a foundationer of the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 1998/99. At present, Markus Bellheim teaches piano and Lied interpretation at the Würzburg academy of music.
Within his busy concert schedules, he performed at very important national and international festivals and concerts (including the Schubertiade Feldkirch, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Dresden’s days of contemporary music, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Olivier Messiaen au pays de la Meije, Mozart Festival Würzburg, Music Festival Bratislava, Nuova Consonanza Roma). Apart from performing solo piano concert evenings, he was accompanied by several well known European orchestras such as the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo/Napoli and the Orchestre philharmonique de Nice. He also performs with ensembles such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Itinéraire and Accroche Note.
His concert programme illustrates his special affinity to the music of the 20th and 21st century, especially the music of Olivier Messiaen. Within the Messiaen 2002 Festival in Essen in April and May 2002, he performed the complete works for piano solo of O. Messiaen on four evenings. Markus Bellheim is also a sought after partner for chamber music for well known musicians such as Ingeborg Hallstein, Sigune von Osten, Armand Angster and Peter Lukas Graf.
In 1998 Markus Bellheim received the Kulturpreis der Stadt Würzburg, followed in 2001 by the Bayerische Staatsförderpreis. He won the first price of the International Messiaen Contest 2000 in Paris (Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris) as well as the two special prices for the best interpretation of Oiseaux exotiques and parts of Catalogue d’Oiseaux. At the MIDEM 2002 he was nominated for the Victoire de la Musique Classique (category: newcomer of the year).
Markus Bellheim has done several recordings for various European radio and television stations. His debut album with music from Liszt, Debussy, Strawinsky, Messiaen and Benjamin was released in June 2002 by the record label Jade in Paris.
|
