Johannes Kropfitsch (Austria)

Johannes Kropfitsch (born 1960) is one of the most outstanding Viennese pianists. His performances convince with intellectual power as well as high virtuosity. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna with Hans Petermandl and Hans Graf and received his final diploma with unanimous distinction in 1985. He attended master classes with Stanislav Neuhaus Alexander Jenner and Wilhelm Kempff. He received his doctorate in law in 1987.
Johannes Kropfitsch was prize-winner /finalist at the „Busoni „competition in Bozen, the concours „Marguerite Long“ in Paris, „Alessandro Casagrande“, „Citta di Senigallia“ in Italy and won a new Bösendorfer grand at the “Bösendorfer“ competition (1985) in Vienna.
Since then he performs regularly as a soloist, but also with his sister Elisabeth (violin) and his brother Stefan (cello), forming the famous JESS-TRIO-WIEN, which has its own series of Concerts in the Wiener Konzerthaus.
Johannes Kropfitsch was soloist in concerts of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the RSO Vienna, the Slovenian Philharmony, the 21st Century Orchestra Kobe (Japan).
He performs worldwide in the most important music centers, as London (Wigmore Hall), New York (Carnegie, Lincoln Center), Tokyo, Seoul (International Artist Center), Moscow, Barcelona.
In addition to the standard repertory, he performed all 32 Sonatas by L. v. Beethoven, the entire Wohltemperiertes Klavier by J. S. Bach and the 24 Studies by F. Chopin.
He founded the well-known Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach am Wörthersee in 1993.  Johannes Kropfitsch is also a specialist for dodecaphonic music (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and successors). He is member of the board of the International Chopin Society in Vienna.
He became assistant teacher for the class of Hans Graf at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna in 1985. Since 1998 he is professor for piano at the Music and Art University of the City of Vienna and became chair of the department of keyboard instruments from 2008 to 2017. From 2014 to 2017 he has been elected vice-dean.
From 2017 until present he left academic duties and focusses on composing (his works becoming quite popular) piano-teaching and performing.
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