Peter Ritzen

Peter Ritzen (1956) Pianist, Composer & Conductor. Peter Ritzen was born in the Flemish historic city of Ghent in Belgium and studied in his native city at the Royal Conservatory of Music, garnering First Prizes in piano and chamber music with highest honors. His teachers were Louis Pas (Piano) and Francois Glorieux, both renowned professors & performers in Belgium. He continued his studies at the renowned Mozarteum in Salzburg with Tatjana Nikolaijewa (Moscow) and later graduated from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" with the 'Diplôme Supérieure d' Exécution' for piano. His teacher in Paris was Marian Ribicky, a famous and respected pedagogue, who has links with the Theodor Leschetizky tradition (Ignaz Friedman). In 1981 he became Laureate of the International Piano Competition ‘Young Virtuosos’ and the Prize of the Fund ‘Alex De Vries,’ both held in Antwerp, Flanders.

Pianist - Composer

'PETER RITZEN: A SPIRITUAL SON OF FRANZ LISZT' [Knack Magazine, Brussels 1986]

Ritzen performs SINCE 1986 in the world’s most eminent concert halls: ‘Musikverein’ in Vienna, Salle Gaveau, Paris; Carnegie Hall, New York, and the National Concert Halls of Taipei and Beijing, to name just a few.

Equally important to his career as a performing artist, Peter Ritzen is also a composer. His contact with Chinese culture has had a great impact on his creativity. He has conceived a whole repertoire of China-related musical works.Being a descendant of the ‘Golden’ 19th Century tradition, Peter Ritzen has, besides his brilliant skills as an interpreter, displayed what is today an unparalleled gift for improvisation in classical music. It connects him unmistakably to the great music epochs of the past three hundred years.

Peter Ritzen has won international praise for his many CD recordings. In breaking new ground, he was the first-ever performer to record (in 1992) a CD of Leschetizky solo works [8.223525] , besides the unpublished Leschetizky Piano Concerto [8.223803] ; both issued on the internationally renowned MARCO POLO - NAXOS label [http://www.naxos.com/artistinfo/Peter_Ritzen_637/637.htm link] .In 2004 a Double CD of Liszt was published ( RMS Catalogue Nr 2101 RITZEN GOLDEN EDITION [http://rms-music.com Official Site] ] with the complete Transcendental Etudes, B-minor Sonata, the 2 St Francis Legends and the complete 'Liebestraume' (Love Dream 1,2,3)

His own compositions were also released for the NAXOS label: Piano Concerto ‘The Last Empress [8.223969] ’, Chinese Violin Rhapsody and ‘Chinese Requiem’ [8.223980] with the Shanghai Philharmonic. His music was eventually broadcast live on Chinese national television and has won the hearts and praise of millions of Chinese people.

In 1991 he founded the 'International Leschetizky Academy (I.L.A.) [http://rms-music.com Official Site] at the University of Music in Vienna. In 2000 he became artistic director of the first-ever 'International Piano Competition Theodor Leschetizky (IPCTL) Taipei [http://rms-music.com Official Site] . The second edition of IPCTL took place very successfully in June 2004. In June 2005 Ritzen’s Transcendental Symphony ‘Heavenly Peace’ was successfully premiered at the National Concert Hall in Taipei: a large piece for soloists, chorus, organ and grand orchestra including some Chinese traditional instruments.

Peter Ritzen lives and works currently in New York. He is married to Stella Chang, an Italy trained Soprano from Taiwan. They have a son Franz Ritzen. Peter Ritzen has a daughter in Belgium: Hadewych Ritzen.

External links

* [http://www.peterritzen.com Peter Ritzen Official Website]
* [http://www.ecolenormalecortot.com/ Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot"]
* [http://www.vivendisymphonicorchestra.com The Artist Club of Vivendi Symphonic Orchestra]

Videos

*HEAVENLY PEACE Adagio 'Piety' Peter RITZEN [http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=-gQnoxDS4nE&eurl=http://users.telenet.be/vivendisymphonicorchestra/peterritzen/symp_adagio.html movie]

Excerpt of Peter Ritzen's Transcendental Symphony with the world famous Tenor Angelo Marenzi as soloist and Meir Minsky from Israel conducting

*HEAVENLY PEACE Scherzo 'Ancient China' Peter RITZEN [http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=CDDezzUg0Go&eurl=http://users.telenet.be/vivendisymphonicorchestra/peterritzen/sympho_scher.html movie]

Peter Rizten's Transcendental Symphony Heavenly Peace 'Ancient China' where the composer depicts China's great history in a glorious festival with Chinese instruments

*BACH-RITZEN TRANSCRIPTION Peter RITZEN [http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=nAPGzV2ropw&eurl=http://users.telenet.be/vivendisymphonicorchestra/peterritzen/bach_ritzen.html movie]

"RECORDINGS"

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*LESCHETIZKY: Piano Concerto [http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223803 link]

*LESCHETIZKY: Piano Works [http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223525 link]

*RITZEN: Chinese Requiem / Chinese Violin Rhapsody [http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223980 link]

*RITZEN: Last Empress [http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223969 link]