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“In this context, the performer’s chordal playing proves to be of unsurpassed brilliance, starting with the wonderfully powerful, finely graduated bow hand and ending with flawless intonation. It seems as if there were at least four hands at work at the same time, and it is astonishing how natural the cellist, with a relaxed smile on his lips, lets the bow bounce over the strings in a playful and spirited manner, as if he wanted to dance with his instrument.”
Gustav Rivinius is still the first and only German musician to be awarded a First Prize Gold Medal at the 1990 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In addition, he received a special prize for the best interpretation of a Tchaikovsky composition, outperforming all other competitors. Since then he has appeared with leading musicians, orchestras and conductors around the world.
Among the many high points of an illustrious career, Gustav Rivinius has performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lorin Maazel, Ingo Metzmacher and Hans Zender. In celebrations marking the re-opening of the Spanish Hall at Prague Castle, Gustav Rivinius joined the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Vaclav Neumann.For the gala marking the 50th anniversary of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, he returned after several invitations for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto together with Antje Weithaas and Lars Vogt under the direction of Horst Stein.
In the US, hehas performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and with orchestras in Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Washington D.C. as weöö as with the Houston Symphony. In Seoul, he performed with the KBS Symphony Orchestra and in Beijing with the National Ballet Orchestra. He has worked together with conductors such as Marek Janowski, Christoph Eschenbach and Dmitri Kitajenko. He has also played alongside orchestras of Lisbon, Toulouse, Lyon, the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Orchestra, as well as in Lucerne and with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. Gustav Rivinius has appeared with all of Germany’s radio symphony orchestras as well as with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, the Leipziger Gewandhausorchester and the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin. In 2025, he will play the world premiere of Roland Kunz’s Cello Concerto with RSO Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern.
Along with his solo work, Gustav Rivinius devotes himself to chamber music. He plays regularly alongside his brothers in the Rivinius Piano Quartet and in recitals with his brother Paul at the piano. Gustav Rivinius is also an annual participant in the Heimbach Spannungen festival, where he performed and perform alongside his muscial friends Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas, Isabelle Faust and Sharon Kam, and in numerous festival CD recordings.
Rivinius founded the Gasparo da Saló Trio, the Bartholdy String Quintet and the Tammuz Piano Quartet, which recorded both piano quartets by composer George Enescu for the cpo label. This label also released Gustav Rivinius’ performance of the Cello Concerto by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari accompanied by the Frankfurt Radio Sympony Orchstra under Alan Francis, and Henze’s Ode to the West Wind featuring the RSO Saarbrücken conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewki was released by Arte Nova. Gustav Rivinius recorded the Brahms Clarinet Trio along with Sharon Kam and Martin Helmchen for Berlin Classics.
For many years Gustav Rivinius has been a Professor at the University of Music in Saarbrücken. He is co-founder of the Kammermusiktage Mettlach and thus has influenced the musical landscape of his native Saarland for over 30 years. He teaches a number of masterclasses regularly, including at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and is a regular juror at major music competitions, including the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
Season 2024/2025 | Photo: Jean M. Laffitau | Quote: Wochenblatt, February 14th 2022
Amendments or edits need the consent of Künstlersekretariat Astrid Schoerke GmbH
Gustav Rivinius is awarded the Kunstpreis of Saarland
11 October 2016
Saarland’s Ministry for Education and Culture is awarding Gustav Rivinius this year’s Kunstpreis. Minister of Education and Culture Commerçon congratulated the award winner declaring: “Both his work as […]
Gustav Rivinius excels with Dutilleux
11 March 2016
Composed in 1970 and dedicated to Rostropovich, who also performed its original premiere, the cello concerto “Tout un monde lointain” by Dutilleux is one of the most demanding […]
Gustav Rivinius’ Orchestra Focus
23 November 2023
In the 25/26 season, Gustav Rivinius will focus on four concertos for violoncello and orchestra, honouring a selection of composers, regardless of their recognition, and giving expression to […]
Prag – Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall
3 July 2018
Mozart Clarinet Quintet A major K 581 Reger Clarinet Quintet A major op. 146 Interval Brahms Clarinet Quintet B major op. 115 Sharon Kam, clarinet Isabelle van Keulen, […]
Regensburg – Vielberth-Gebäude of the Universität
5 December 2017
Mozart – Clarinet Quintet A major K 581 Max Reger – Clarinet Quintet A major op. 146 Brahms – Clarinet Quintet B minor op. 115 Isabelle van Keulen […]
Munich – Herkulessaal of the Residence
5 December 2017
Mozart – Clarinet Quintet A major K 581 Max Reger – Clarinet Quintet A major op. 146 Brahms – Clarinet Quintet B minor op. 115 Isabelle van Keulen […]
Friedrichshafen – Graf-Zeppelin-Haus
5 September 2017
Dvorak – Concerto for violoncello B Minor op. 104 Joachim Trost, conductor Sinfonieorchester Friedrichshafen Gustav Rivinius, violoncello
Yaroslavl – State Philharmonic
20 April 2017
Tchaikovsky – Rokoko-Variationen A-Dur op. 33 Symphony Orchestra Novaya Rossiya Yuri Bashmet, conductor
Gustav Rivinius is awarded the Kunstpreis of Saarland
11 October 2016
Saarland’s Ministry for Education and Culture is awarding Gustav Rivinius this year’s Kunstpreis. Minister of Education and Culture Commerçon congratulated the award winner declaring: “Both his work as […]
Gustav Rivinius – Repertoire Violoncello
21 July 2016
Beethoven Tripel concerto C Major op. 56 E. Bloch Schelomo, Hebrew Rhapsody L. Boccherini Concerto No. 7 G Major, G 480 Concerto No. 9 B flat Major, G […]
Gustav Rivinius excels with Dutilleux
11 March 2016
Composed in 1970 and dedicated to Rostropovich, who also performed its original premiere, the cello concerto “Tout un monde lointain” by Dutilleux is one of the most demanding […]
Beethoven
Tripel concerto C Major op. 56
E. Bloch
Schelomo, Hebrew Rhapsody
L. Boccherini
Concerto No. 7 G Major, G 480
Concerto No. 9 B flat Major, G 482
Brahms
Double concerto A minor op. 102
E. Denissov
Variations on a theme by Haydn (1982)
Dutilleux
Concerto Toute un monde lointain (1970)
Dvorak
Concert B minor op. 104
Elgar
Concerto E minor op. 85
J. Francaix
Variations de concert for cello and strings
Haydn
Concerto C Major, Hob. VIIb: 1
Concerto D Major, Hob. VIIb: 2
H. Henze
Ode an den Westwind
A. Honegger
Concerto (1929)
E. Lalo
Concerto D minor
Lutoslawski
Concerto (1970)
F. Martin
Ballade for violoncello and small orchestra (1949)
Martinu
Concerto No. 2 (1945)
N. Miaskowski
Concert C minor op. 66
D. Milhaud
Concert No. 1
M.G. Monn
Concerto G Major
Prokofiev
Sinfonia concertante op. 125 (1950)
O. Respighi
Adagio con variationi
Saint-Saëns
Concerto A minor op. 33
A. Schnittke
Concerto No. 1 (1986)
O. Schoeck
Concerto op. 61 (1947) for violoncello and strings
Schoenberg
Concerto D Major
R. Schumann
Concerto A minor op. 129
Schostakowitsch
Concerto No. 1 op. 107 (1959)
Concerto No. 2 op. 126 (1966)
R. Strauss
Don Quixote op. 35
Tschaikovsky
Rococo-Variations op. 33
Pezzo capriccioso op. 62
H. Vieuxtemps
Concerto No. 1 a minor op. 46
Concerto No. 2 b minor op. 50
Sir W. Walton
Concerto (1957)
B. A. Zimmermann
Canto di speranza (1957) for cello and small orchestra Pas de trois
Beethoven
Tripel concerto C Major op. 56
E. Bloch
Schelomo, Hebrew Rhapsody
L. Boccherini
Concerto No. 7 G Major, G 480
Concerto No. 9 B flat Major, G 482
Brahms
Double concerto A minor op. 102
E. Denissov
Variations on a theme by Haydn (1982)
Dutilleux
Concerto Toute un monde lointain (1970)
Dvorak
Concert B minor op. 104
Elgar
Concerto E minor op. 85
J. Francaix
Variations de concert for cello and strings
Haydn
Concerto C Major, Hob. VIIb: 1
Concerto D Major, Hob. VIIb: 2
H. Henze
Ode an den Westwind
A. Honegger
Concerto (1929)
E. Lalo
Concerto D minor
Lutoslawski
Concerto (1970)
F. Martin
Ballade for violoncello and small orchestra (1949)
Martinu
Concerto No. 2 (1945)
N. Miaskowski
Concert C minor op. 66
D. Milhaud
Concert No. 1
M.G. Monn
Concerto G Major
Prokofiev
Sinfonia concertante op. 125 (1950)
O. Respighi
Adagio con variationi
Saint-Saëns
Concerto A minor op. 33
A. Schnittke
Concerto No. 1 (1986)
O. Schoeck
Concerto op. 61 (1947) for violoncello and strings
Schoenberg
Concerto D Major
R. Schumann
Concerto A minor op. 129
Schostakowitsch
Concerto No. 1 op. 107 (1959)
Concerto No. 2 op. 126 (1966)
R. Strauss
Don Quixote op. 35
Tschaikovsky
Rococo-Variations op. 33
Pezzo capriccioso op. 62
H. Vieuxtemps
Concerto No. 1 a minor op. 46
Concerto No. 2 b minor op. 50
Sir W. Walton
Concerto (1957)
B. A. Zimmermann
Canto di speranza (1957) for cello and small orchestra Pas de trois