Anja Lechner

violoncello

Fondatrice del Rosamunde Quartet, la violoncellista tedesca Anja Lechner affianca alla profonda conoscenza del repertorio cameristico interessi musicali che sfociano nel tango (da qui il fortunato progetto Kultrum che ha visto lo stesso Rosamunde accanto all’argentino Dino Saluzzi) e nella musica improvvisata (l’album Night del pianista Misha Alperin).
La sua collaborazione con il pianista greco Vassilis Tsabropoulos l’ha portata a confrontarsi con l’opera musicale del compositore e filosofo greco-armeno G.I. Gurdjieff: il disco “Chants, Hymns and Dances” del 2004 è stato un significativo successo di critica e pubblico, in Europa e negli Stati Uniti.
Svolge un’intensa attività concertistica con diverse formazioni e in contesti differenti, dai grandi festival di musica colta a quelli di jazz e improvvisazione.

Anja Lechner studied with Heinrich Schiff and Janos Starker, with a scholarship from the Deutsche Studienstiftung. She is a founder member of the Rosamunde Quartet, whose ECM recordings -- of Haydn and of Webern/Shostakovich -- have received praise on both sides of the Atlantic, and is also featured on Valentin Silvestrov’s important (and Grammy-nominated) chamber music album "leggero, pesante". Later in 2005, ECM New Series will release the Rosamunde Quartet’s recordings of the string quartets of Tigran Mansurian.
Although primarily a "classical" musician, Lechner has also long been involved with aspects of improvisation in different traditions. Her interest and involvement in Tango Nuevo, for more than 20 years, led to the Rosamunde Quartet’s "Kultrum" collaboration with Argentinean bandoneonist/composer Dino Saluzzi. Anja Lechner also plays duo concerts with the bandoneonist ("As close to perfection as any music-making I can recently recall", Richard Cook in Jazz Review).
In 2000, she launched a duo with Greek pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos. Their album, "Chants, Hymns and Dances" (recorded 2004) features new arrangements of music of the Greek/ Armenian composer-philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff, and compositions by Tsabropoulos based upon Byzantine hymns. Widespread interest in their fresh approach to Gurdjieff’s music has led to intensified concert activity, including a debut tour of the USA in October 2004.
“Chants, Hymns and Dances” was a significant critical and popular success, especially in America, where it soared into the upper reaches of the Billboard Classical Chart, and reached the #1 position on the Amazon Classical Chart.
In addition to the Gurdjieff compositions, the Lechner/Tsabropulos duo’s recital programme also includes music of Gabriel Fauré, Nadia Boulanger and César Franck, as well as improvisations.
Improvisation, in contexts closer to jazz, has been one of the subjects of Anja Lechner’s work with Alperin/Lechner/Kjos Sørensen, whose album “Night” was recorded live at the Vossajazz festival in Norway. She has also toured with Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman in the trio Abaton.
Her festival appearances have included Berliner Festwochen, Europäischen Wochen, Wiener Festwochen and the Rheingau Festival, as well as jazz/improvisation events including Saalfelden Festival, Vossajazz and the Spielboden Festival in Dornbirn.

A Santa Teresa Gallura per Musica sulle Bocche 2006
Venerdì 25 agosto ore 19.00
Chiesa parrocchiale