Music as the highest art

 

Conductor, soloist, and chamber musician – the talents of Christoph Poppen are varied indeed. He has become renowned not only as a musician but also as a superb teacher.


Christoph Poppen presents Claudio Abbado with an Honorary Doctorate from Conservatoire Hanns Eisler Berlin (1997)

Between 1988 and 1995 Christoph Poppen held the position of Professor of Violin and Chamber music at the Conservatoire in Detmold.

President of the Hanns Eisler Conservatoire Berlin

From Detmold his path took him to the Hanns Eisler Conservatoire Berlin, where he was president between 1996 and 2000.

Christoph Poppen and Annerose Schmidt, former president of Hanns Eisler Conservatoire Berlin

In 2000 he was awarded the prestigious Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by the State of Berlin. In an interview at the time for ARTEtv he said: “My work as President was probably the least musical of all my jobs, however learning this role was of immeasurable help in other areas. Even today I still benefit from those days. I have learned to enter into dialogue with people, to address problems with an open mind, and to solve them through collaboration.”  

Receiving the award from Eberhard Diepgen, Mayor of Berlin (2000)

ARD International Music Competition

In 2001 Christoph Poppen followed his calling to Munich, where he took over as Artistic Director of the renowned ARD International Music Competition, a position he held until 2005.
 

Conservatoire Munich

Since October 2003 Christoph Poppen has been Professor of Violin and Chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. Steeped in tradition, this is one of Germany’s oldest and most respected institutions for music and the performing arts. Anyone wishing to study with Christoph Poppen has to be especially gifted. And he champions the next generation. Being an internationally renowned conductor and soloist himself, he is only too aware of the high expectations placed on musicians.
Apart from technical excellence and virtuosity, prospective students must bring with them a truly artistic personality. His students learn from the start how to relate to the or-chestra, be it as a soloist, a chamber musician or concert master.

 

 

 

 

 

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