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The Brazilian harpsichordist and clavichordist, Cristiano Holtz, started his musical training with his grandmother when he was 7 years old. Inspired by the music of J.S. Bach and Gustav Leonhardt’s playing, he began to study the harpsichord at the age of 12 in Brazil. With the age of 15 he continued his musical studies in the Netherlands, staying there for ten years, studying with several teachers, such as Jacques Ogg and Gustav Leonhardt. He also attented masterclasses with Miklós Spányi (clavichord) and Pierre Hantaï (harpsichord).
Since 1989 Cristiano Holtz has been playing mostly as soloist thoughout Europe, Latin America and Asia, in several international festivals and giving master-classes in Portugal, Brazil and Singapore. Besides harpsichord and clavichord, he also gives recitals on historical organs. In 1995 he won an award in the Eldorado Competition in São Paulo.
Cristiano Holtz frequently records for Brazilian and Portuguese radio and television. In 2002 he recorded keyboard works by J.S. Bach and chamber music by George Frideric Handel and Antonio Vivaldi, in the frame of Porto European Cultural Capital, in association with the daily newspaper Público. In 2006 he recorded the suites of Johann Mattheson (world premier) for the label RAMÉE, this recording obtained several international awards such as the "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik", and the Goldberg’s early music magazine 5 Stars. He currently lives in Lisbon where he teaches at the Instituto Gregoriano and the Conservatório Nacional de Música. He is also responsible for the maintenance of some of the historical keyboard instruments and for the organisation of recitals at the Portuguese Music Museum. |
