Julian Riem

  • Piano/Arrangements

General management

JulianRiem_©Georg Thum

He sculpts Debussy's final completed cycle with effortlessness, brilliance and a subtle touch, eliciting captivating nuances from this music which is as virtuosic as it is melodiously florid. (...) Highly complex pianistically, pushing tonal limits at times, Riem takes the unique idiosyncrasies of this fascinating music to extremes. Without fail, he perfectly nails the pieces, most of which are only a minute or so in length – a brilliant addition to Debussy's far better known cycle. (Etudes by Debussy and Szimanowski, Tyx-Art) Klassik Heute

Julian Riem is one of the most versatile pianists in the classical world today. As a soloist, chamber musician and Lied accompanist, he performs on a regular basis in Europe, Asia and America. Even at an early age, he was considered by his mentors – none other than Michel Béroff, Michael Schäfer and Rudolf Buchbinder – to be one of the “most promising pianists of his generation”.

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His exceptional musicality is reflected in his open mind for all things new, his love of arrangements for piano, chamber music and orchestra, and his affinity for contemporary works.

Julian Riem makes regular guest appearances at international festivals, including the Munich Opera Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern, the Rheingau-, the Schleswig-Holstein- and the Mosel-Musikfestival, Musica mundi in Brüssel, Les Muséiques in Basel, the  Tucson Friends of Chambermusic, Arizona, Barge Music New York, Tongyeong International Music Festival, Korea, and the International Music Festival Marvão, Portugal, in addition to performing in major concert halls such as the Konzerthaus Vienna, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Berlin, Tonhalle Maag Zurich, Bunkakaikan Tokyo and Munich's Herkulessaal.

He has won prizes at international piano competitions in Modena, Madrid and Premio Gui in Florence, was a scholarship holder of the German Music Competition and has received numerous awards for his numerous CD recordings, including an Echo Klassik, an Opus Klassik, the German Record Critics' Award and a Diapason d'Or. He won the Grand Prize at the 2022 International Petrichor Music Competition for his piano trio arrangement of the Scherzo from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

He and cellist Raphaela Gromes form an established duo whose six CD recordings to date with Sony Classical have each climbed the official German classical music charts. These CDs include world premiere recordings and numerous arrangements by Julian Riem.

In addition to the classical concert repertoire, Riem is an advocate of modern and contemporary composers; in addition to Messiaen, Ligeti, Stockhausen, Henze, Boulez, Xenakis, Schnittke, and Hartmann, his programs frequently include works and premieres by Liebermann, Stahmer, Bourbodakis, Illes, Koch, Cowell, and Ranjbaran.

He has collaborated musically with artists such as Christoph Poppen, Julian Rachlin, Albrecht Menzel, Markus Wolf, Wen-Sinn Yang, Reinhard Latzko, Isabelle van Keulen, Georg Arzberger und Andreas Schablas, sowie Susanne Kelling, Carolina Ulrich und Juliane Banse.

season 2023/2024

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Contacts

Projects

  • Further dates upon request

    Raphaela Gromes (Violoncello) – Julian Riem (Klavier)

    Femmes

    Program:

    Femmes II
    Helene Liebmann (1795-1869) - Sonate für Klavier und Violoncello in B-Dur Op. 11 (18')
    Elisabeth Kuyper (1877-1953) - Ballade Op. 11 (10')
    Florentine Mulsant (*1962) - Sonate Nr. 2 (2018) Op. 82 (11')
    Pause
    Luise Adolphe Le Beau (1850-1927) - Romanze, Mazurka et Barcarolle aus 5 Stücke Op. 24 (11')
    Henriette Bosmans (1895-1952) - Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier in a-Moll (1919) (24')
    Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) - Trois Pieces für Violoncello und Klavier (9')

    Femmes II (GEMA-freie Alternative)
    Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) - Sérénade pour le pianoforte avec le accompagnement de violoncelle (6')
    Helene Liebmann (1795-1869) - Sonate für Klavier und Violoncello in B-Dur Op. 11 (18')
    Luise Adolphe Le Beau (1850-1927) - Sonate in D-Dur Op.17 (17')
    Pause
    Henriette Bosmans (1895-1952) - Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier in a-Moll (1919) (24')
    Amy Beach (1867-1944) - aus Op.15 Mazurka und Dreaming (6')
    Pauline Viardot Garcia (1821-1910) - Bohèmienne, Romance et Tarantelle aus 6 Morceaux VWV 3003 (9')

  • Raphaela Gromes (Violoncello) – Julian Riem (Klavier) - Signum Saxophon Quarett

    "Christmas" - In cooperation with AMC Artists Management Company

    Program:

    J.S.Bach (1685-1750): Sonata for Violin Solo No.1 in g minor, BWV 1001 (14’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): 12 Variations for Violoncello and Piano from Haendel's "Judas Maccabaeus", WoO.45 (12’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Piotr Ilyich.Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Nutknacker
    -No. II, March,
    -No. III, Waltz of the Flowers Op.71a (14’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    ------ Intermission------

    Frederic Chopin (1810-1849): Polonaise in A Major Op.40/1 (6’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Florence Price (1887-1953): Song for Snow (2:30’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Viet Cuong (1990): Beggar´s lace from "Prized Possessions"  (6’)
    For saxophone quartet

    S.Prokofiev (1891-1953): Troika from "Lieutenant Kije“ (2:30’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Norah Jones (1979): White Christmas (3’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Christina Aguillera (1980): Have yourself a Merry little Christmas (3:30’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Michael Bublé (1975):
    -It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (4')
    -All I want for Christmas is you (3’)
    For violoncello, saxophone quartet and piano

    Arrangements by Julian Riem

     

  • Standard Repertoire - Dates upon request

    Raphaela Gromes (Violoncello) – Julian Riem (Klavier) – Signum Saxophon Quartett

    Limitless – Grenzgänger zwischen Klassik und Jazz

    Program:

    Anatoli Ljadow - Baba Jaga op. 56
    Nadja Boulanger - Trois pièces für Violoncello und Klavier (1914)
    Claude Debussy - La Cathédrale
    Friedrich Gulda - Cellokonzert
    Leonard Bernstein - Symphonic Dances from West Side
    George Gershwin - Rhapsody in blue

  • Standard Repertoire - Dates upon request

    Raphaela Gromes (Violoncello) – Daniel Dodds (Violine) - Julian Riem (Klavier)

    “Imagination”

    Program:

    Robert Schumann - Märchenerzählungen op. 132 (arr. Julian Riem für Violine, Violoncello und Klavier)
    Margarete Schweikert - Märchenstunde und Elfenliedchen (für Violoncello und Klavier)
    Fanny Hensel - Zauberkreis (für Violoncello und Klavier)
    Szymanowski - Mythen op. 30 (für Violine und Klavier)
    Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - "Scherzo" aus ´Ein Sommernachtstraum´ op. 61 Nr. 1 (arr. für Violine, Violoncello und Klavier von Julian Riem)
    Ravel - Ma mère l oye, Ballett (arr. für Violine, Violoncello und Klavier von Julian Riem)
    Chausson - Poème Es-Dur op. 25 für Violine und Klavier
    Liszt - "Gnomenreigen" (arr. Julian Riem für Violoncello und Klavier)
    Paul Juon - Märchen op. 8 für Violoncello und Klavier
    Tschaikowsky - Dornröschenwalzer op. 66 (arr. Julian Riem für Violine, Violoncello und Klavier)

  • Standard Repertoire - Dates upon request

    Raphaela Gromes (Violoncello) - Gabriella Victoria (Harfe) – Julian Riem (Klavier)

    Program:

    Robert Schumann - Fantasiestücke op. 73 für Violoncello und Klavier
    Debussy - Clair de lune (für Harfe)
    Debussy - Les fées sont d´exquises danseuses (für Klavier)
    Debussy - Ce qu´a vu le vent d´ouest (für Klavier)
    Villa-Lobos - The song of the Black Swan für Cello und Harfe ("O canto do cisne negro")
    Saint-Saëns - Der Schwan aus: "Der Karneval der Tiere" (arr. Julian Riem für Cello, Harfe und Klavier)
    Tschaikowsky - Auszüge aus Schwanensee (arr. für Violoncello, Harfe und Klavier von Julian Riem)
    Robert Schumann - Märchenbilder - Vier Stücke op. 113 (arr. Julian Riem für Violoncello, Harfe und Klavier)
    Popper - Auszüge aus Suite für Violoncello und Klavier op. 50 (´´Im Walde´´)
    Liszt - "Gnomenreigen" (arr. Julian Riem für Violoncello und Klavier)
    Alphonse Hasselmans - "La source" op. 44 für Harfe
    Dvořák - "Lied an den Mond" aus Rusalka
    John Williams - Star Wars: Anakin und Padme (arr. Julian Riem für Violoncello, Harfe und Klavier)
    John Williams - Hedwigs Thema aus Harry Potter (arr. Julian Riem für Violoncello, Harfe und Klavier)

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Biography 2023/24