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The German harpsichordist and organist, Christine Schornsheim, studied at the Spezialschule für Musik Berlin 1969 to 1976, and afterwards until 1982 she studied piano at the Hochschule für Musik Berlin. From 1982 to 1983 she was a solo-repetitor at the Hans-Otto-Theater in Potsdam. She completed her training by attending master-classes with Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, Johann Sonnleitner as well as Andreas Staier.
Since 1985 Christine Schornsheim is active as a freelance harpsichordist. She has appeared under such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Seiji Ozawa, Claudio Abbado, Leopold Hager, Peter Schreier, Marcus Creed, Georg Christoph Biller, Helmuth Rilling, Gilbert Varga, Hermann Max as well as Christoph Poppen. Since 1985 she appears increasingly as a guest soloist on the harpsichord and hammerflügel at various festivals, such as the Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival, the Europäischen Musikfest in Stuttgart, the Wiener Orgeltagen, the Nürnberger Orgelwochen, the Berliner Bach-Tagen, Bachwoche Ansbach, the Tagen für Alte Musik in Berlin, Regensburg and Herne, the Brühler Schloßkonzerten as well as at the Internationalen Bach-Festen. Concert tours have led her to most European countries, as well as to Israel, Japan and the USA. She appears frequently in the most important German cultural centres.
As a Lieder accompanist with Peter Schreier, Christine Schornsheim has a successful debut on the hammerflügel in 1994. Her most important musical partners are Andreas Staier with concerts on two harpsichords, Christoph Huntgeburth, Ulla Bundies and Mary Utiger. Since autumn 2003 she is a member of the newly reformed ensemble "Münchener Cammer-Music". She also appears as harpsichordist with the Berliner Barock-Compagney.
Christine Schornsheim has participated in numerous, highly-estimated recording and broadcast productions. She recorded, for example the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) and many other harpsichord works of J.S. Bach, some of the rarely heard, several piano concertos of W.A. Mozart, and together with the transverse flutist Christoph Huntgeburth she recorded works of L.v. Beethoven for flute and piano for the first time. Beyond that there are many recordings, in which she has participated as a harpsichord continuo player, as an organist, and as a chamber musician. In 1999 she received the ECHO-Klassikpreis for recording of three harpsichord concertos by C.P.E. Bach, W.F. Bach and J.Ch. Bach (appeared on Capriccio). In February 2005 the complete piano works of J. Haydn played on five historical keyboard instruments appeared on Capriccio/WDR. This recording was awarded in France with the "Diapason d'or May 2005" and the "Diapason d'or Jahrespreis 2005", as well as in Germany with the "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik" and the "Echo Klassik 2005".
From 1988 to 1992 Christine Schornsheim had a training post for harpsichord and general-bass at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig. In November 1992 she was appointed as Professor for harpsichord and hammerflügel at the same institute and was since then involved with great in the structure of the department for early music. In October 2002 she became Professor for harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and terminated her training activity in Leipzig. Since 1992 she is invited repeatedly as a jury member at international harpsichord competitions. |
