Gunar Letzbor as a child loved not only the cuisine of his Austrian homeland, but also Austrian music — especially that of the baroque period. When he later studied composition, conducting, and violin in Linz, Salzburg, and Cologne, it was therefore only natural for him to engage as intensively as possible with the interpretation and performance practice of early music, among others with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Reinhard Goebel. He soon performed with the ensembles Musica Antiqua Köln, Clemencic Consort, Armonico Tributo Basel, and the Wiener Akademie, and for many years served as concertmaster in the latter three.
In order to satisfy his particular enthusiasm for the largely unknown baroque music of his homeland, he founded his own ensemble in 1989, ARS ANTIQUA AUSTRIA, with which he seeks to give expression to the sonic diversity of the Austrian repertoire through a specifically Austrian baroque sound.
Since then, he has spent even more time in the often magnificent libraries of Austrian monasteries and abbeys — and besides dusty fingers, his passion for new baroque music has also brought him appearances on almost all major concert stages and festivals in Europe and beyond, as well as a large number of recordings.
His CDs with Biber’s violin sonatas and the Rosary Sonatas in particular have received numerous awards, as have recordings of works by Schmelzer, Vejvanovsky, Muffat, Weichlein, Aufschnaiter, Mozart, Vilsmayr, and Viviani.
At numerous festivals and in countless concerts throughout Europe, the USA, and Japan, Gunar Letzbor has also appeared and continues to appear as a soloist in violin concertos and recitals, where alongside his playing, his talent for bringing the performed works closer to the audience with witty remarks and spontaneous illustrative examples consistently generates great enthusiasm.
In addition, Gunar Letzbor is a sought-after teacher of baroque violin who has taught, among other places, at the music universities in Lübeck and Vienna. He also regularly shares his experience as an ensemble director and soloist with young musicians in summer seminars on performance practice and the playing practice of historical instruments.
Audio samples
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern: Sonata VI aus Fidicinium sacro profanum
D. G. Antonio Pandolfi Mealli: Sonate a violino solo
Gregor Werner: Pro Adventu, Cantilena de immaculate Ihr blumenreichen Felder
Visit Gunar Letzbor and Ars Antiqua Austria also on our YouTube Channel!
