Klaus Christa
Viola
Stella Vorarlberg Private University of Music
Teaching languages: German | English | French
The violist Klaus Christa is the artistic director of the chamber music series Musik in der Pforte, which he founded in 1999 and which, along with the Schubertiade, has become the most important chamber music project in the Lake Constance region. His passion for works in small settings inspired him to create innovative programme concepts, with which he was able to win a new audience for this repertoire.
Klaus Christa is intensively involved in the Mangaung String Programme in South Africa. For many years he has contributed his experience as artistic director of the Bochabela String Orchestra, the ambassadors of the programme. With this orchestra he has already undertaken several European tours, delighting audiences at venues such as the Tonhalle in Zurich, the MuTh in Vienna, the Radialsystem in Berlin, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Christuskirche in Hanover.
His decisive mentor and teacher was Hatto Beyerle, with whom he studied in Vienna and Hanover. In addition, Gérard Caussé, Klaus Maetzl and Walter Levin were important inspirers for his artistic work.
Since 1995, Klaus Christa has been professor of viola and chamber music at the Vorarlberg State Conservatory and promotes young musicians with great dedication. He is a member of the Epos:Quartet, which he co-founded. As a chamber musician he has performed with Alexander Swete, Karl Leister, Norbert Täubl, Rainer Honeck, Priya Mitchell, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt and the Vertavo String Quartet, among others.
Klaus Christa is a leading interpreter of the music of our time and has worked intensively with Sofia Guabaidulina and George Crumb, among others. Klaus Christa plays a viola by William Robert Scott from 2009.