Biography

The Süddeutsche Zeitung calls him the "new idol of all piano enthusiasts", the Financial Times Deutschland describes his playing as an "experience" and the magazine Rondo states briefly and to the point: "Masterly. Gripping, indeed, poignant. Splendid." Born in Erlangen in 1982, the German pianist David Theodor Schmidt is one of the young generation of musicians who already enjoy great acclaim in the musical world.

Schmidt initially studied with Sontraud Speidel in Karlsruhe and later with Kevin Kenner at the Royal College of Music in London. He has won prizes and holds scholarships from prestigious organizations like the German Government's DAAD programme, the ZEIT Foundation (in the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben) and the Chopin Society in Hanover. In November 2009 he was additionally awarded the renowned Bavarian Arts Bursary of the State Ministry of Science, Research and Art.

Schmidt is very active on the concert platform. He has been invited to give recitals and orchestral concerts at important venues in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, including the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Gasteig in Munich and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, as well as at renowned music festivals like the Schubertiad at Schwarzenberg/Hohenems and the Thuringian Bach Festival. His appearances elicit enthusiastic responses from the press, the Molva newspaper (Russia), for example, speaking of "his high culture as a pianist, his maturity, his brilliant technique and expressive range on the piano".

Complementing his radio and television recordings, the still young pianist's CDs have aroused special attention following their release on labels like Sony Classical and Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler. In them, David Theodor Schmidt engages with the works of Bach and the German-Austrian Romantic composers, which together with Viennese Classical compositions form the main focus of his repertoire. The recordings have been highly praised in the press and on radio at home and abroad; the magazine Fono Forum, for example, gave his last CD of works by Mendelssohn, Schubert and Brahms its "Star of the Month".

Schmidt's schedule for 2011 includes concerts at the Dortmund Konzerthaus, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Ansbach Bach Festival. In addition to that, two new CDs are planned for release by Profil – Edition Günter Hänssler: the first recording (to be released in spring) will contain works by Bach and Liszt, while the second (to be released in autumn) will focus on works by Schubert/Liszt and Schumann.