Virtuos Mallets

Instrumentalists:

Roland Härdtner - marimba, vibraphone
Information about Roland Härdtner's musical career can be found under "biographie"

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen
Since it’s foundation in 1945 the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen (WPR) has developed into
an internationally renowned orchestra. The Artistic Director of the orchestra from 2001 until 2007 was Norichika Iimori. Since the season 2008/2009 the Swede Ola Rudner has been the new Principal Conductor.
Apart from performing several Concert Series in Reutlingen each season and a Concert Series in the
‚Basilica Weingarten’, which was recorded by the Southwest German Radio (SWR), the WPR is regularly broadcast on German radio. The Orchestra was engaged from 2004 until 2006 as ‚Orchestra in residence’ at the international Rossini festival in Bad Wildbad. On numerous tours throughout Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands the orchestra acquired a high international reputation. The WPR was particularly successful in Concert tours to Spain, in Gala concerts with the soprano Edita Gruberova and Tenor Jose Carreras, and on several tours through Switzerland with soloists such as Peter Seiffert, Agnes Baltsa and Ramon Vargas. In 2008 the Orchestra and the new Principal Conductor Ola Rudner took part in a tour throughout Hungary and Austria where the orchestra also appeared at the ‚Wiener Musikverein’. Another highlight was a tour to Japan in 2006 where the orchestra was represented as official ambassador to the cultural life of Baden-Wurttemberg.
The WPR celebrated further successes in concerts in the ‚Concertgebouw of Amsterdam’, in the Philharmonie
of Cologne and Berlin, at the playhouse Baden-Baden, in the Munich ‚Herkulessaal’ as well as in Lucerne and Milan
where the orchestra performs concerts regularly. In 2010 the orchestra has again been engaged for a tour to Spain as well as for a further tour to Switzerland together with Thomas Hampson.
The WPR plays together with renowned soloists suchas Gideon Kremer, Daniel Hope, Radu Lupu, Frank Peter
Zimmermann, Natalia Gutman, Sabine Meyer and Shlomo Mintz.

Markus Huber - Conductor
Markus Huber was born in Munich, Germany in 1968. As a soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor he worked from an early age on with notable musicians uch as Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Nicolaus Harnoncourt and Dennis Russel Davies.
He studied at the Musikhochschule in Munich and Vienna, with Leopold Hager (conducting) and Karl-Hermann Mrongovius (piano) amongst others. At that time he worked as répétiteur for the stage direction class of August Everding and held a teaching position for piano accompaniment.
In 1996 Markus Huber started his conducting career as répétiteur and conductor at the Landestheater Detmold. One year later he held the same position as well as that of 2nd chorus director at Opernhaus Chemnitz and he was appointed principal conductor of Collegium Instrumentale Chemnitz in 1999. Between 2002 and 2007 he was principal guest conductor of the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra and in 2003 Markus Huber became principal conductor
of Westsächsisches Sinfonieorchester Leipzig.
Since 2008 Markus Huber is General Music Director of Theater Pforzheim.
Markus Huber took the stand at many renowned orchestras, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, ORF-Symphonieorchester, Orchestra of Saarländischer Rundfunk and 40 international orchestras more.
In 1999 he won the second prize of the international conducting competition ‚Boris Perrenoud’ in Vienna..

Jari Hämäläinen - Conductor
Born in Helsinki, Finland, Jari Hämäläinen completed his musical studies in piano, singing and conducting at
the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and graduated as a concert pianist. From 1985 to 1990, he worked as an assistant to the General Music Director at the Finish National Theatre and, at the same time, as a coach and conductor at the Savonnlina Festival.  He was engaged for the first time in Germany by the Stadttheather Hildesheim in 1990. After engagements in Hildesheim and Braunschweig as Kapellmeister, he became the General Music Director and Music
Director of the Stadtheater Pforzheim. In 2003 he was named Opera Director and Intendant of the Opera.
In 1999 he deputed with the Frankfurt Opera conducting Don Giovanni. He then made frequent guest appearances at the Finish National Opera,conducting Bizet’s Carmen in 2002 and Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio in 2004. Under his direction the rarely played opera Mefistofele was premiered at the Theatre of Regensburg in 2005
and was enthiusiastically applauded.
In addition, Jari Hämäläinen has worked with numerous orchestras all over Europe including the Munich Philharmonics, the Stuttgart Philarmonics, the Finish Sinfonia Jyväskylä, the WPR, the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, the Symphonieorchester Münster, as well as the Thüringer Symphoniker, the Orchestras of Teatro Carlo Felice Genova
in Italy and the Opéra National de Lorraine in France.
Since 2008 he has been the Artistic Director of the renowned Savonlinna Festival in Finland and has conducted operas in Genova, Ireland, Australia, Hawai, Hong Kong, Macau and at the Peking Music Festival.

Rolf Schweizer - Conductor
Rolf Schweizer was born in Emmendingen (Baden) in 1936. He studied church music in Heidelberg (with Poppen, Fortner, Zimmermann, Haag and Dallmann). Whilst still at the university, he became choirmaster and organist at the Johanniskirche Mannheim. He stayed there for 10 years as a full-time church musician.
Since 1966 he has been ‚Bezirkskantor’ of the region of Pforzheim, and choirmaster and organist at the ‚Stadtkirche’, Pforzheim. In 1969 he was appointed ‚Kirchenmusikdirektor’, in 1975 ‚Landeskantor’ of Mittelbaden. Rolf Schweizer has received considerable recognition, not only as a choirmaster, particularly in the field of child and youth choirs, but has
also been in demand as a church composer for many years, composing hymns, trombone ensemble, choralmusic, cantata, oratorio, orchestral music and organ works.
In 1984 Rolf Schweizer was appointed ‚Professor’ by the state of Baden-Württemberg. In 1991 he received the ‚Ehrenring’ of the town of Pforzheim and in 1998 he became freeman of the town in which he has been working for over three decades. He has been guest lecturer at numerous Music Academies in entire Germany.
Since 2001 Rolf Schweizer has been working freelance as a referent, conductor and composer.

Info

With his current CD Virtuos Mallets Roland Härdtner would like to show how beautiful, emotionally touching and many-faceted so-called ‚modern music‘ can sound. Except for the concerto from Darius Milhaud from the year 1947 and Glasssworks from 1981, all of the compositions on this CD have originated at a time in which Roland Härdtner was already actively giving concerts with his Mallets.
The concerto from Philip Glass, originally composed for violin, is the only arrangement of the production.
It is the first recording of this work worldwide in an arrangement for the Mallets.
The works chosen for this recording also document that there are many original compositions for the still some what exotic Mallet instruments which demonstrate the wonderful diversity of the Music of the twentieth Century.

Ney Rosauro on this recording of his concert:
“I really liked the way that Mr. Roland Härdtner performed my marimba concerto. Very accurate and musical interpretation plus some new ideas hat makes his version sounds personal and
original. The orchestra provides a solid accompaniment and the solo part flows easily throughout the four movements. One of the best performances from my concerto that I ever heard.
Congratulations Roland and thanks for playing my music so well.”

Press reviews

• Virtuos Mallets - 01.09.2011 - CD Rezension
• Virtuos Mallets - BNN 06.11.2010 - CD Rezension
• Virtuos Mallets Rezension (08.11.2010)

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