Anton Steck

Baroque violinist Anton Steck is a highly-regarded soloist, recognized as a leader in his area of specialization and well- known in international circles. His reputation has long been established as an outstanding interpreter who combines expressive intensity and technical perfection which result in passionate performances of his chosen repertoire.

Beginning with the study of the modern violin under the tutelage of Jörg-Wolfgang Jahn in Karlsruhe, Anton Steck commenced a new phase in his musical development when he took up the baroque violin and furthered his studies with Reinhard Goebel, the director of the prominent ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln.

During this time, Anton Steck was asked to serve as concertmaster of Musica Antiqua Köln. Subsequently, he was asked to take on the same position with the celebrated orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre under the direction of Marc Minkowski in Paris. His work with these ensembles provided the impetus for the start of an international career which has included numerous concerts as a soloist and over 30 CD productions. Several of Anton Steck's solo productions have been honored with important awards.

For many years, Anton Steck's activities as concertmaster formed the focus of his work: In 1997, he made his debut as the conductor of the Händelfestspielorchester (HFO) in Halle, and he has served as artistic advisor and guest concertmaster there since 1999. This position brings with it the opportunity for close collaboration with the Halle Opera.

Nonetheless, Anton Steck's primary concern remains the performance of virtuosic violin literature which continues to inspire and challenge him in his role as a specialist in the baroque violin. In technique, repertoire, and style, Anton Steck reaches far beyond what is normally expected from his instrument and the music of this era. The compositions in his programs reach to the modernization of the violin, several of Anton Steck's solo productions have been honored with important awards.

In 1996 Anton Steck formed the Schuppanzigh Quartet, one of the few string quartets which play on period instruments. In addition to the performance of the Viennese quartet repertoire, the Schuppanzigh Quartet is committed to rediscovering the works of little known composers. Combining technical perfection with spirited musicality and vibrant expressiveness, the quartet never fails to delight their audience in performance.

Although still relatively young (born in 1965), Anton Steck was appointed Professor of Baroque Violin at the Music Conservatory in Trossingen in 2000. Other activities include teaching courses at the Internationale Händel-Akademie in Karlsruhe and at the Orchester-Akademie of the Junge Münchner Philharmoniker where he passes on his knowledge and experience to the next generation of young musicians.

Simply put, his presentations bring this repertoire to life. As a both a performer and musicologist, Anton Steck strives to attain a comprehensive grasp of the historical works he performs, and he shares this knowledge and devotion with his listeners both on recordings and in the concert hall.

"In a way, we are opening a window in time to catch a glimpse of a bygone era. We must continue to try to do this, otherwise classical music will remain static, something to be reeled off following recognized patterns. At the same time, our interpretation will be a modern interpretation - after all, we are modern human beings playing in modern concert halls for a modern audience."

Anton Steck plays a violin built by Alessandro Gagliano, Naples (1701) and a copy of the Guarneri del Gesu „Il Canone“ (1742) custom built for him by Tilman Muthesius.