VIOLA

Gerhard Marschner was born in Vienna in 1984. At the age of six he received his first violin lessons from Grete Biedermann, soon changing to Ina Stemberger and then Juri Polatschek before being admitted to the class of Alfred Staar and his assistant, Hubert Kroisamer, at the University of Music Graz/Oberschützen in 1995. Briefly before the sudden death of Alfred Staar, Gerhard Marschner followed his recommendation and switched to the viola, studying with the former principal violist Josef Staar and finally with Hans Peter Ochsenhofer at the University of Music Vienna.

In 2004, Gerhard Marschner won the audition for a tutti position with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra at the age of 19 and in 2007 became a member of the Vienna Philharmonic. In the same year he advanced to section leader of the violas. In December 2016, he won the audition for the position of principal violist which he held until 2021.

In addition to his orchestral duties, Gerhard Marschner is a highly sought-after soloist and chamber musician. He has toured in Japan, China, Korea, the US and numerous European countries. Among his chamber music partners are Rudolf Buchbinder, Stefan Vladar, Magda Amara, Andrey Baranov, Harriet Krijgh, Midori, Rainer Honeck and many other internationally acclaimed musicians.

In 2014, he was in charge of the International Orchestra Institute Attergau, a youth project of the Vienna Philharmonic where international music students, together with members of the orchestra and led by a famous conductor, prepare a concert programme and are familiarized with the “Wiener Klangstil” (Viennese tone style).

Gerhard Marschner regularly performs with the “Trio Aurora”, co-founded with Karl-Heinz Schütz and Charlotte Balzereit-Zell in 2012. Furthermore, he was a member of the “Philharmonic Five” until 2020.

Gerhard Marschner plays on a viola by Marino Capicchioni from the year 1953.