The Glasshouse

Thomas Zehetmair enjoys enviable international acclaim not only as a violinist, but also as a conductor and chamber musician. He is Chief Conductor of Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Principal Conductor of the Orchestre National d’Auvergne and Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

Zehetmair has appeared as a conductor and violinist with orchestras including Seattle Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Eighteenth-Century, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Hamburger Philharmoniker. He was Chief Conductor of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and Musikkolegium Winterthur, Artistic Partner of St. Paul’s Chamber Orchestra and Music Director of Royal Northern Sinfonia with whom he continues his association as Conductor Laureate.

In the 21-22 season, in addition to his commitments with Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Orchestre National d’Auvergne, Irish Chamber Orchetra and Royal Northern Sinfonia, his conducting engagements include Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and a residency as violinist and conductor with the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. With the Zehetmair Quartet he will tour Europe including performances at BOZAR, Brussels and Helsinki’s House of Nobility.

Ruth Killius’ extraordinary ability to use her instrument to revive the wealth of viola literature from the Classical to the Modern Age is without equal. The versatility of her playing has bestowed her instrument with new meaning. In particular, through her passionate commitment to contemporary music, she has successfully made the viola an essential part of the music of the 21st century.

Ruth Killius, who studied under Ulrich Koch and Kim Kashkashian, expanded the standard repertoire for the viola with the addition of contemporary music. She collaborated in the performance of numerous original premieres e.g. the Brian Ferneyhough String Trio together with members of Geneva’s Ensemble Contrechamps as well as in Elliott Carter’s Oboe Quartet with Heinz Holliger. Holliger wrote his double concerto for violin, viola and a small orchestra, a commission from the Salzburg Festival, for her. The performance of the original premiere of John Casken‘s double concerto That Subtle Knot, dedicated to the duo Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius, together with the Royal Northern Sinfonia attracted widespread attention.

With solo and double concertos, Ruth Killius appeared in Moscow with the Russian National Youth Orchestra, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, in Winterthur with the Musikkollegium and will return to Gateshead with the Royal Northern Sinfonia as well as the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra.