MATTHIAS WOLLONG Director

Born in 1968 in Berlin, Matthias Wollong took his first violin lessons at the age of five. Following studies at the specialist music school in Berlin he joined the class of Werner Scholz in 1984. From 1987 to 1989 he studied with the legendary violinist and pedagogue, Tibor Varga, in Switzerland. As concert master of the Tibor Varga Chamber Orchestra he performed in Germany, France and Switzerland and was winner of the Violin Competition named after his teacher. He also won many other prizes, including first of the Joachim Violin Competition in Austria.

Matthias Wollong works as a soloist with prestigious conductors, including Heinz Wallberg, Adam Fischer, Rafael Fruehbeck de Burgos, Sir Colin Davis with such orchestras as the ORF-Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Halle, the Staatskapelle Dresden etc. Since 1999 he has been first concert master of the Staatskapelle Dresden, having held the same position in the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin. In addition he has been concert master at the Bayreuth Festival since 2001.

Matthias has also directed many tours and concerts by the German Chamber Orchestra and the New Berlin Chamber Orchestras and has led a project of the Youth String Orchestra in Berlin. With his many radio and CD productions he has achieved international recognition, in particular with his CD of the complete works for violin of the Swiss composer, Otmar Schoeck.