In depth: Stephan Koncz

In depth: Stephan Koncz

Stephan Koncz comes from an Austro-Hungarian family of musicians and when he was eight began his studies at the Musikhochschule of his native Vienna. In 2000 he became a pupil of Róbert Nagy at the Vienna Conservatory, and from 2002 he also studied composition and conducting at the University of Vienna. His training and development were also decisively stimulated by masterclasses with Daniel Barenboim, Steven Isserlis, Heinrich Schiff, Olaf Maninger and Tamás Varga as well as by chamber-musical activities with Julian Rachlin, Dmitry Sitkovetsky and the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.

In 2006 Koncz became a scholar of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Orchestra Academy. The winner of several national and international competitions, he has also appeared as a soloist and chamber player in venues including the Vienna Musikverein and Konzerthaus as well as the Berlin Philharmonie. His position as principal cellist in the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra resulted in an intensive collaboration with the violinist Maxim Vengerov. Having previously been a member of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra for two years, Stephan Koncz joined the cello section of the Berliner Philharmoniker at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season.