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Frank Bungarten

Photo by Thomas Struth

Frank Bungarten

has been proclaimed „OPUS KLASSIK 2018 INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR“.

The newly-established prize has been awarded Oct.14th at „Konzerthaus Berlin“ during a ceremonial tv presentation.

After already two previous „Echo-Klassik“ awards in the same prestigious category he once more establishes his position as Germany’s most recognized classical guitarist.

Being honored at an early age by legendary maestro Andrés Segovia unleashed the start of Bungarten’s international career. For almost four decades he has played countless concerts in more than 40 countries of the world and his painstakingly conceived recordings—dedicated to the heavyweights of the repertory—form the essence of his artistic life’s work. Bungarten’s Bach transcriptions, Sor studies, the „Cancion y Danza“ compilation and his complete Villa-Lobos are long-established, bestselling classics.

As a passionate professor of guitar he teaches an elite group of international students, formerly in Lucerne, Switzerland, and currently at the University of Music in Hannover and at various workshops and master classes worldwide.

Now

Photo by Thomas Struth

WITH HIS LATEST PRODUCTION

Frank Bungarten breaks new ground in the history of guitar recordings.

For the first time—and after 150 years—the music of Johann Kaspar Mertz, the last of the great Viennese virtuosos, comes alive again on the spectacular original instrument.

THE TEN-STRING DOUBLE NECK GUITAR

epitomizes the pinnacle of a fascinating development during the Golden Age of guitar in Vienna in the first half of the 19th century. The dramatic expansion of tonal range and expression on the guitar, driven by the impact of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Liszt, is now finally documented true-to-life in a comprehensive high-end recording.

Johann Gottlieb Scherzer guitar, Vienna 1861, recreated by Gary Southwell 2013

Work

Photo by Micha Neugebauer

Musical Life

Photo by Micha Neugebauer

CONCERTS IN

Austria
Belgium
Bhutan
Brazil
Chile
China
Cuba
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republik
Denmark
Dominican Republik
El Salvador
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece
Honduras
Hongkong
India
Irland
Israel
Italy
Luxemburg
Mexico
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Thailand
Ukraine
USA
… worldwide collaboration with Goethe Institute

SOLOIST WITH

Academy of Taiwan strings
Berliner Bach Orchester
Capella Istropolitana
ensemble modern
Göttinger Symphonieorchester
Luzerner Symphonieorchester
National Philharmony Krakow
National Philharmony Kiev
Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg
Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia
Münchener Rundfunkorchester
Norddeutscher Figuralchor
Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie
… and many more

CHAMBER MUSIC PARTNERS

Fareed Haque
Andrea Lieberknecht
Stephen Stubbs
Iraz Yildiz
Ensemble Lesmona
Nomos Quartett
Quartetto di Cremona
Szymanowski Quartett

MUSIC FESTIVALS

Ansbacher Bachwoche
Dresdener Musikfestspiele
Europäische Wochen Passau
Festival d’automne de Normandie
Festival “Friends of Szymanowski Quartett” Lviv
Festival Mitte Europas
Frankfurter Feste
Hohenloher Kultursommer
Klosterfestival “Klänge der Stille”
Lüneburger Bachtage
Oldenburger Kultursommer
MDR-Musiksommer
Montafoner Resonanzen
Niedersächsische Musiktage
“Summerwinds” Festival
Salzburger Festspiele
Schwetzinger Festspiele
Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival
… and uncounted Guitar festivals 

PROFESSOR OF GUITAR AT

Musikhochschule Luzern (1989-2010)
Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien Hannover (1982-today)

WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES AT

Conservatorio Claudio Monteverdi di Bolzano
Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi di Como
Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello Venezia
Conservatorio di Musica Francesco Venezze Rovigo
Conservatorio di Monopoli Nina Rota
Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa
Georg Philipp Telemann Konservatorium Magdeburg
Grieg Academy Bergen
Kunsthalle Düsseldorf K21
Lemmensinstitut Leuven
Hochschule der Künste Bern
Hochschule für Künste Bremen
Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden
Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Frankfurt
Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg
Hochschule für Musik Saar
Hochschule für Musik Würzburg
Musikhochschule Lübeck
Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf
Sibelius Academy Helsinki
University Luisville
… and uncounted masterclasses at guitar festivals

AWARDS

1.Prize “XXX. Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza” 1981
IV. Concurso Internacional de Interpretacion Musical
President of the Jury: Andrés Segovia

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik 1997
Diapason d’or 1999

Echo Klassik “Instrumentalist of the year” 2005
Echo Klassik “Instrumentalist of the year” 2011
Opus Klassik „Instrumentalist of the year“ 2018

Guitars

Photo by P.J. Wilson

GERHARD SCHNABL, “NO. 610”, SPRUCE / MAPLE, 1999

The guitar played on the Bach Partitas CD. Very old, light, extremely flamed woods. Firm, pure and transcendental tone.

GERHARD SCHNABL, “NO. 620”, SPRUCE / BRASILIAN TULIPWOOD, 2000

Wildest character of all Schnabl guitars. Spectacular wood, never repeated. Played on radio recordings with orchestra or the Villa-Lobos CD.

GERHARD SCHNABL, “NO. 646 & 700”, SPRUCE / BRASILIAN ROSEWOOD, 2003 & 2010

Two almost identical guitars. Toured the world, but no cracks or wood movements. Unlimited tonal possibilities. Listen to the Moreno-Torroba CD.

LUCIANO LOVADINA, SPRUCE / MAPLE, 2012

Italian beauty but also daily workhorse. Unsurpassed fat tone and endless sustain. The classical equivalent to a 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

Gary Southwell, “A-Series”, Spruce / Makassar ebony, 2012

Welcome overdose of “Stauffer” sound with contemporary touch. Woods stored since the 80s: Back and sides by Bernd Martin, top by Julian Bream.

Gary Southwell, “A-series”, YEW / 5000 years old bog oak, 2016

Only two extremely rare and phenomenal woods used. Very silky, sweet and flexible tone for a steel string. Overwhelms all senses.

Gary Southwell, “Scherzer 1861”, Spruce / Maple, 2013

Copy of Matanya Ophee’s original. Black basses, screaming trebles, in between transparent structure. Totally balanced over the whole range. To be heard on the Mertz CD.

Jan Tulacek, “Schenck 1847”, Spruce / Maple, 2016

Copy of the unique original from the Berlin museum. Insane handcraft of the young Czech luthier. Sounds amazing. Will be used for future projects.

Images

Photo by Micha Neugebauer

Hi res images

by Micha Neugebauer

Media

Photo by Micha Neugebauer

Calendar

Calendar

2025
February 8th

20:00pm

Eisleben, Germany
Duo Negin Habibi & Frank Bungarten
November 29th

18:30pm

Kloster Duderstadt
Duo Negin Habibi & Frank Bungarten
2024
October 19th

19:30pm

Schloss Burgfarrnbach, Fürth, Germany
Duo Negin Habibi & Frank Bungarten
2023
May 21st

11:00am

Internationale Gitarrenmatineen Düsseldorf, Palais Wittgenstein, Germany
June 2nd

7:30pm

Guitarfestival „Niedergrafschaft“ Emlichheim, Germany
June 3rd/4th Workshop Musikschule Uelsen, Germany
June 10th

7:00pm

Helmkehof Hannover, Germany
Guitar Duo with Negin Habibi
August 21st – 26th Masterclass Festival Federico Cesi, Trevi, Italy
October 13th

19:00pm

The Camel Café, Dobříš, Czech Republic
Guitar Duo with Negin Habibi
October 14th

20:00pm

Bamberg D Johanniskapelle
Guitar Duo with Negin Habibi
2022
May 15th
17.00
Erlöserkirche am Markt, Detmold, Germany
August 20th & 21st Festival Montafoner Resonanzen, Austria
August 22nd Rittersaal der Schattenburg, Feldkirch, Austria
August 24th – 29th Masterclass Festival Federico Cesi, Trevi, Italy
September 25th 11.00 Matinee Museum Rosenegg, Switzerland
2021
October 22nd

7:30 pm

Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz &
Frank Bungarten
Konzil, Konstanz, D
October 24th

7:00pm

Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz &
Frank Bungarten
Graf-Burchard-Halle, Frickingen, D
October 26th

7:30 pm

Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz &
Frank Bungarten
Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Oberschwaben, Weingarten
October 27th

7:30 pm

Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz &
Frank Bungarten
Konzil, Konstanz, D
2019
February. 24th  3 pm Concert Gasthuiskerk Doesburg, NL
March 5th Masterclass Musikschule Liestal CH
March 9th  7 pm Concert MAST Bologna IT
March 10th Masterclass
March 16th Concert Conservatorio G. Verdi Como IT
March 15th – 18th Masterclass
July 21th – 26th Masterclass Novy Rybnik CZ
August 23rd – 29th Masterclass Festival “Fedreico Cesi” Trevi/Italy
September 15th Concert Speyer D
October 24th Concert Weingarten D
November 2nd Concert Bamberg D
2018
March 3rd Concert Knoxville, USA (Knoxville Guitar Society)
March 3rd + 5th Concert & Masterclass Luisville USA (Luisville University)
March 24th Concert Eisleben, Germany
May 16th Masterclass Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber, Dresden
July 1st Concert Dobris, Velbloud Cafè, Czech Republic
July 1st – 7th Masterclass in „Novy Rybnik“ Oboriste/Prague, Czech Republic
application: management@frankbungarten.de
July 13th Concert Hongkong (Hongkong Guitar Symposium)
July 16th – 17th Concert & Masterclass Shanghai ( Altamira Guitar Festival)
July 18th – 21st Concert & Masterclass Changshu/Suzhou, China
July 24st – 24th Concert & Masterclass Bengbu/Anhui, China
July 24th – 27th Concert & Masterclass Zhumadian/Henan, China
July 28th – 30th Concert & Masterclass Taiyuan/Shanxi, China
August 9th – 11th Concerts Montafoner Resonanzen, Gaschurn, Austria, Solo and with Quartetto di Cremona, Austria
August 24th – 30th Masterclass
Festival Federico Cesi, Trevi/Italy
November 3rd Masterclass Musikschule Kamenz, Germany

2017

May 23rd “Talks & Tours” in der Ausstellung “Figure Ground“ von Thomas Struth
Haus der Kunst München, 18:30 Uhr
August 6th Montafoner Resonanzen
Matineé-Konzert, Kloster Gauenstein/Schruns, 11:00 Uhr
August 6th – 13th Masterclass in „Novy Rybnik“ Oboriste/Prague
application: management@frankbungarten.de
August 26th
August 27th – 30th
Concert
Masterclass
Festival Federico Cesi, Trevi/Italy
September 27th Concert
Auditorium Cavazzoni, Conservatorio di Mantova/Italy, 6pm
October 26 – 27th Eröffnungskonzert, Zitadelle Spandau/Berlin, 20:00 Uhr
Meisterkurs
Spandauer Gitarrenfest
November 11th Concert
Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa
Lisboa, Portugal
November 17th Doppelkonzert, 18:00 und 20:00 Uhr
Hofkapelle der Residenz München
Vorverkauf: www.muenchenticket.de
November 18th – 19th “Die Kunst des Übens” – Ein Workshop für GitarristenMusikschule Ismaning
Mühlenstraße 19
85737 Ismaning
www.musikschule-ismaning.de