The Swiss violinist receives the award in recognition for his contribution to the enrichment of cultural life
The Swiss Violin Making School Foundation has awarded the ‘Golden Bow’ to violinist Sebastian Bohren. Bohren received the award at a ceremony held during the opening of the Musikfestwoche Meiringen on 8 July. At the opening concert, Bohren performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden, conducted by Philippe Bach.
The prize is a fine gold-mounted bow from the Finkel bow company. Since 1998, the award has been given to string players that ’contribute to the enrichment of our cultural life’. Previous winners of the award include Thomas Zehetmair, Tabea Zimmermann, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Kim Kashkashian and Leonidas Kavakos.
Born in 1987, Bohren trained in Zurich with Jens Lohmann and subsequently Robert Zimansky and Zakhar Bron, before studying in Lucerne with Igor Karsko and at Munich’s University of Music and Performing Arts with Ingolf Turban. He has received musical influence from Ana Chumachenco, Hansheinz Schneeberger, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Christian Tetzlaff and Heinrich Schiff.
Bohren was a member of the Stradivari Quartet from 2013 until 2020, performing in venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Victoria Hall in Singapore. His recital partners and collaborators include violinists Roby Lakatos, Benjamin Schmid, Hansheinz Schneeberger and Dmitry Sitkovetsky, pianists Andreas Haefliger, Konstantin Lifschitz and Yekwon Sunwoo, violist Antoine Tamestit, cellists Thomas and Patrick Demenga, Anastasia Kobekina, Julia Hagen and Christian Poltera, and clarinettist Reto Bieri.
A concerto soloist with a wide repertoire, future seasons will see Bohren perform works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Brahms, Bartók, Szymanowski, Korngold, Frank Martin, Kurt Weill, Magnus Lindberg, Alfred Schnittke, Peteris Vasks, Loris Tjeknavorian and Peter Eötvös.
Bohren performs on the Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ’ex-Wanamaker-Hart’ violin from 1761, Parma, pictured above.
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