Danae Papamattheou – Matschke, violin

Danae Papamattheou - Matschke comes from a family of musicians, born in 1988, she studies violin at the University Mozarteum of Salzburg. The Greek-origin violinist, who has been awarded numerous prizes, holds currently a scholarship of Alexandros S. Onassis foundation. The broadcasting “Intrada” dedicates space for a Portrait of this exceptional violinist.

“There was always music in our house, because my father is a pianist. However, despite this I did not show any interest for piano. It was when I was 3 year’s old that, during a performance taking place in our house, I heard for the first time someone playing the violin. My mother recalls that, from that day onward, I was persistently asking to learn how to play the violin. My wish was finally fulfilled on my fifth birthday: “I got as a present my first violin and my first violin lesson” says the Athens born Danae Papamatthaiou-Matschke, giving an account of the beginning of her career in music.

From 2006 she studies the violin at the University Mozarteum of Salzburg in the Class of Professor Igor Ozim. This year she finished her Bachelor degree and she will complete her post-graduate studies in 2013.
She received her first violin lessons in Athens from Nina Volinskaya and Vassilis Papas. In 2002 she enrolled in the Class of Professor Jost Witter in the Special Musical Gymnasium “Belvedere” in Weimar.

From a Seminar to Salzburg
“When I met Professor Igor Ozim in a violin seminar, in Weimar, I was very impressed by his teaching methods and this determined my enrollment to study at the Mozarteum University”, explains the young violinist in relation to her decision to choose Salzburg..

Great affinity to modern Music
In addition to the preference she has for the French music of Impressionism, she feels a special affinity with modern music:
“This relates to my upbringing at home, where from an early age I had come in contact with contemporary music, for which my father had a special liking to interpret.
I had a particular relationship with this type of music through the compositions of the Greek composer Dimitris Terzakis who, having heard me playing once, he dedicated one of his compositions to me. I interpreted this particular work of his (“Sprüche im Wind” 2010), as a first ever performance, in the Concert Hall of Athens, in January 2011”.

Multiple First Prizes
From 2001 onwards the young violinist has received the first prize in national and international violin competitions:
Among these are the “Panhellenic Pupil Competition” (Athens -2001), the well known International Violin Competition “Andrea Postacchini” (Fermo / Italy -2003) and the 2nd International Violin Competition “Henri Marteau” (Lichtenberg / Bavaria).
Finally, in 2010 she received the special prize for the best interpretation of a piece of contemporary work in the 2nd International Violin Competition “Szymon Golberg Award” in Meissen.

...and scholarships
The young violinist has, many times, been honored with scholarships following competitions: Among these are the scholarships “Gerd-Bucherius” of the German Foundation Musikleben and from the Greek Foundation “Propontis”.
She has repeatedly been awarded scholarships from the “Alexandros S. Onassis” Foundation: “This year”, she told us, “I received the Onassis scholarship again for my post-graduate studies. I am deeply grateful for this scholarship which is a tremendous help to me for my studies”.

Concerts
From an age as young as eleven, Danae Papamattheou-Mtschke was already appearing in concerts, either as a soloist or as one of the members in chamber music: she had taken part as a soloist with the State Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki, with the Thüringen Philharmonie, as well as with the Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig. She has appeared in festivals such as the International Festival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the International Festival of Music in Aegina.
“In 2008, I played for the first time a Mozart concert with the orchestra “Kamerata” in Athens and soon afterwards, in 2009, I interpreted the concert of Brahms with the State Orchestra of Athens. An important experience for me was to appear in Gewandhaus of Leipzig, where I was given the chance to interpret in such a magnificent hall the 8th concert of L. Spohr”.
Since then, she has been appearing in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Cyprus and China.

Concertmaster in the farewell concert for Davies
In the farewell concert in honor of Dennis Russell Davies, who was for several years Artistic Director of the Symphonic Orchestra of Mozarteum University, the young violinist was given the main responsibility for the Concertmaster in the Sixth Symphony of Mahler.

Testore Violin from Musikleben Foundation
In the last six years, Danae Papamattheou-Matschke is supported by the provision of a violin from the German Foundation Musikleben. She is now playing with a 1710 violin, the work of a Milanese violin constructor Carlo Giuseppe Testore:
‘The earlier years, after a competition, I received from Musikleben Foundation an exceptionally good modern violin. I was given the Testore violin afterwards. It is a special privilege to be able to play with such a wonderful instrument because this violin’s potential opens for me new horizons in the sphere of Sound”.

A series of concerts in Germany during 2010
During January and February of 2012 she will give a series of concerts in Germany, together with her father Uwe Matschke. She will follow this with concerts of chamber music in England.

An unrepentant violinist
What are the future plans of this exceptional violinist?
“To be able to play Music as much as possible, whether this involves appearing as a soloist and as a member of an ensample of chamber music or in an orchestra. In other words, to be able to do whatever I want –and this is Music” was the answer of Danae Papamattheou-Matschke.

Matthias Osiecki
ORF Ö1 Kommunikation / Talentebörse