SCHUMANN: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
SCHUMANN: Three Romances, Op. 22
BRAHMS: Scherzo, from the F.A.E. Sonata
JOACHIM: Hebrew Melodies, Op. 9
BRITTEN: Lachrymae, Op. 48
SHOSTAKOVICH: Sonata, Op. 147
Tabea Zimmermann is a musician of extraordinary versatility. An internationally acclaimed soloist, chamber musician and teacher, she has had a profound influence on the musical world far beyond the concert stage. At the heart of her work is the viola, both as an expression of artistic excellence and as a deeply personal commitment.
Born in southern Baden, Tabea Zimmermann made her debut at the Berliner Philharmonie at the age of just eleven. Following successes at competitions in Geneva, Paris and Budapest, she became Germany’s youngest professor at the age of 21. Teaching has always remained an essential part of her musical life, and she currently teaches at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt and the Kronberg Academy.
Contemporary music has played a central role in Tabea Zimmermann’s artistic career. Numerous composers, including György Ligeti, Heinz Holliger, Wolfgang Rihm, Enno Poppe and Michael Jarrell, have dedicated works to her or joined her in world premiere performances. For Zimmermann, engaging with new compositions is closely connected to the continuing evolution of interpretations of the classical repertoire.
Chamber music is fundamental to her artistic work, as is directing orchestral projects from the viola. More recently, she has collaborated as both soloist and director with Ensemble Resonanz, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the German National Youth Orchestra. In 2026, she will also begin a new project with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.
In 2026, Tabea Zimmermann embarked on an extensive North American chamber music recital tour with Javier Perianes, with performances in Washington, New York, Québec, Montréal and Princeton. She also maintains a longstanding artistic partnership with pianist Thomas Hoppe, with whom she will appear in a number of concerts. In spring 2026, Zimmermann reunited with the Belcea Quartet for a concert tour in Germany.
Artistic collaboration on equal terms is a fundamental value that guides Tabea Zimmermann’s life, both in music and beyond. As Artist in Residence, she has performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
During the summer of 2025, Tabea Zimmermann was one of the Artistes Étoiles at the Lucerne Festival, where she performed chamber music, Bartók’s Viola Concerto with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Maximilian Emelyanychev, and the Swiss premiere of Dieter Ammann’s No templates (1962) for viola and orchestra. She also continued her collaboration with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
As President of the Swiss Hindemith Foundation and Chair of the Board of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Tabea Zimmermann plays an active role in shaping cultural decision-making. Through the David Shallon Foundation, which she established, she supports international musical and social projects.
For her commitment, Tabea Zimmermann has received numerous honours, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and honorary membership of the German Music Council.
Tabea Zimmermann is distinguished by her artistic integrity, intellectual independence and musical ideas, all rooted in a deeply personal artistic journey.
Photo © Marco Borggreve
