Benjamin Herzl

The violinist Benjamin Herzl, born in Salzburg in 1994 and currently residing in Vienna, is considered one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. He is equally praised by both audiences and the press for his "virtuosic perfection" as well as his "depth and high musicality." He is a scholarship holder of the Dortmund Mozart Society (Mozartgesellschaft Dortmund), a prize winner of the International Johannes Brahms Competition, and the winner of the Mozart Prize established by Vadim Repin. Following his training at the Salzburg Mozarteum under Klara Flieder, the violinist completed his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Christian Altenburger, as well as in the soloist class of Julian Rachlin. He also received important guidance from Christian Tetzlaff at the Kronberg Academy, Pierre Amoyal at the Academie de Musique de Lausanne, Ivry Gitlis, as well as from Benjamin Schmid and Vadim Gluzman. At just 13 years old, he made his debut at the International Mozart Festival in Mannheim and has since been a guest on renowned concert stages. He has performed as a soloist at the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Konserthus Örebro (Sweden), the Great Festival Hall (Großes Festspielhaus) in Salzburg, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Musikverein, and the Oratorio San Felipe Neri in Havana. During the 2019/20 anniversary season celebrating 70 years of Jeunesse Musicales, Benjamin Herzl appeared in numerous concerts as their "Featured Artist." Highlights of the 22/23 season included performances at the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Brucknerhaus Linz, the Montforthaus Feldkirch (Britten Double Concerto conducted by Gérard Korsten), as well as the International Music Festival Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal. In 2024/25, the artist performed in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein alongside the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria (Bruch Violin Concerto under Erina Yashima) and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra (Mozart Violin Concerto under Nil Venditti). In the 2025/26 season, Herzl will make his debut at the Berlin Philharmonie together with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Nil Venditti. His upcoming engagements also include performances with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra under the direction of H.K. Gruber (Schwertsik Violin Concerto) and the Oradea Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven Violin Concerto) under Andrej Vesel. Benjamin Herzl maintains a close collaboration with the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg. In 2017, he made his highly acclaimed debut there alongside the French pianist Ingmar Lazar. In the same year, the duo won 1st prize at the Academie de Musique de Lausanne. He also captivated the audience in a partnership with pianist Fazil Say during the Salzburg Dialogues in the Great Hall of the Mozarteum Foundation. His other chamber music partners include Ariane Haering, Matthias Bartolomey, Beatrice Berrut, Imogen Cooper, Rafael Fingerlos, Lily Francis, Julia Hagen, Reinhard Latzko, Ingmar Lazar, Othmar Müller, Julian Rachlin, Valentin Radutiu, Beatrice Rana, Andreas Schablas, and Thomas Zehetmair. Benjamin Herzl comes from a family of musicians and is already a third-generation violinist. The artist is a guest at prestigious festivals such as the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, LOISIARTE, 1001 Notes Limoges, the International May Festival Wiesbaden, the Grafenegg Festival, Festival du Bruit qui Pense, "Julian Rachlin & Friends," "Dialogues" Salzburg, the International Nikolaus Harnoncourt Days, Les Musicales de Redon, and the Mozart Festival in Havana. Benjamin Herzl features in a 2021 recording released by the CPO label in cooperation with the German radio WDR, featuring the Austrian baritone Rafael Fingerlos performing previously unpublished compositions by Max Bruch. To mark the Kurt Weill year, a recording of his Violin Concerto in collaboration with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra under the baton of H.K. Gruber will be released in 2025 by BIS Records. Benjamin Herzl is the founder and artistic director of the "Concerti Corti" festival, which takes place in Salzburg in honor of the Austrian director Axel Corti. The violinist performs on the 1732 Joseph Guarnerius violin from Cremona, known as the "ex Guilet," which is generously loaned to him by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. This historic instrument was previously played by Daniel Guilet (Beaux Arts Trio), David Oistrakh, Henryk Szeryng, and Joshua Bell.