Anthony Spiri
International Visiting Tutor
Anthony Spiri is one of the most versatile and highly-regarded among today’s lied accompanists, chamber music pianists and solists. Born in the USA, he studied in Cleveland and Boston until a grant enabled him to continue his training in Europe. He obtained his diploma with special distinction from the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Among his teachers, Erika Frieser, Hans Leygraf, Rudolf Firkusny, Erik Werba and Nikaolaus Harnoncourt were the most influential.
Anthony Spiri’s repertoire extends from the 17th to the 21st century and includes many unusual and lesser-known compositions. Spiri has given world premieres of compositions by Sofia Gubaidulina, Rainer Bishof, York Höller, Wolfgang Rihm, and other prominent composers of our time.
He has performed with many of today’s most prominent singers and instrumentalists. Among his regular Lied partners have been Bernarda Fink, Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Marjana Lipovsek, and Angelika Kirchschlager. His chamber music partners include some of today’s most prominent instrumentalists and ensembles (the Ensemble Wien-Berlin, Gidon Kremer, and the Hagen Quartet for example). As soloist he has appeared with the Chamber of Orchestra of Europe, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the Camerata Academica Salzburg, the Basel Chamber Orchestra and many other orchestras.
His extensive recording catalogue spans numerous labels: harmonia mundi, cpo, Orfeo, OehmsClassics, BMG and Camerata Tokyo among others. Notable is the continuing series of CDs with works by Johann Sebastian, Johann Christian, Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, in which his many years of experience with historical instruments – harpsichord, fortepiano and organ – show to best advantage. Alfredo Casella’s piano concerto Scarlattiana, piano works by Eduard Marxsen, Gabriel Fauré and J S Bach, songs of Schumann, Schubert, Strauss and Joseph Marx.
In addition to publications concerning Alessandro Scarlatti and the sons of J S Bach, he is also engaged in researching the nature of Ancient Roman music and the performance practice of Gregorian chant. From 1988 to 1993 he acted as teaching assistant to Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Since 2001 has been professor of piano chamber music at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. He gives master classes and lectures worldwide.