(c). Adrian Schmidt

 * Territory: LK represents Martin Stadtfeld in Asia.

Martin Stadtfeld’s career began with a piano from a clearance sale, and by the age of seven, his professional aspirations were already formed: to be a concert pianist. Early on, he studies the rules and secrets of counterpoint and harmony, and enters the class of Lev Natochenny as a young student in Frankfurt. During this time, he began to make a stir in competitions, winning prizes in Paris, Bolzano and Leipzig, and in 2002, won First Prize at the Bach Competition.

This is an award with special meaning, for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach is for the pianist the Cape Canaveral of music – from here all paths lead to the cosmos of musical history. It’s no wonder then that Stadtfeld’s first CD recording is like a rocket. The 22-year-old pianist began his recording career with one of the most delicate works of the entire piano repertoire, Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”, just as Glenn Gould had with the same label. Lauded in the press worldwide, Martin Stadtfeld has become at home on the world’s leading concert stages and as guest with major orchestras and festivals.

Success has not gone to his head, bound by the laws of the market. On the contrary, he has remained easy and down to earth – whether he is practicing at the local piano studio in the middle of the Ruhr area, putting together richly nuanced concert programs or composing his own works. “Music works very directly on us. Simple harmonies can spark something in all of us. This is why music stands for humanity, for universal feelings such as comfort and hope – it stands for a constant discussion with ourselves.”

To learn from the treasures of the past and to create something new: Martin Stadtfeld’s first composition, his “Hommage to Bach” (a cycle in the style of Bach), as well as his “Handel Variations” are released on CD. Next to be released will be a children’s CD featuring music from Beethoven.

Introducing children and young people to classical music is a matter of the heart for Martin Stadtfeld. “Classical music has been marginalized from the middle of society. If you ask children what they hear, it’s naturally going to be pop music. Of course, only because many times their parents and grandparents have never heard anything other than popular music themselves. An encounter with the world of classical music never occurred.” During Beethoven’s jubilee year, he will travel to schools with a children’s program to introduce both children and adolescents to the relevance of Beethoven’s oeuvre.

Martin Stadtfeld’s works will be published by Schott. Already available are the “Handel Variations” and a piano version of Bach’s “Chaconne.” In 2020, his “Hommage to Bach” as well as four-hand works for beginner pianists will be published.

Season 2018/2019 | Photo Henning Ross

www.martinstadtfeld.de