Ensemble

The paths of the cellist Christine Rauh and of the pianist Johannes Nies first crossed in 2005. Based on a striking congruence of their musical views, the artistic friendship of the two musicians quickly turned into a bustling joint concert activity which, with its communication of new, path-breaking ideas, endures to fascinate the public and the press alike. The “Duo Parthenon” appears internationally today – a hint of the music festivals in Stara Zagora (2008), Ettlingen (2009) and Weiden (2010) may here suffice – the name chosen for the ensemble alluding to a profession and to a programme at the same time, viz. giving pleasure and edifying the listeners by well-balanced performances of the highest possible grade. It is among the greatest endeavours of the “Duo Parthenon” to achieve these goals in their renditions of the traditional classical and romantic repertoire, but also of the latest and challenging achievements of our day. Rarely performed works from earlier periods are often considered too and, in exciting recitals, juxtaposed with salient literature.

Attributes like brilliance and esprit, seriousness and immediacy characterize the “Duo Parthenon” in its genuine profile, clearly demonstrating the prowess of both interpreters. Their pronounced musicality, amazing degree of maturity and originality, boisterous temperament and, last but not least, deep musical insight have been appreciated by the most competent authorities.

Hailed as a musical partnership of top rank, the “Duo Parthenon” was recognized by the German Music Council through the award of a scholarship in 2009; prizes from the European Chamber Music Competition and the Friedrich Jürgen Sellheim Society together with inclusions into the associated promotion schemes in 2009 followed thereupon. The Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Prize of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the “Freunde Junger Musiker” Chamber Music Prize bestowed in 2010 stand out for the latest distinctions of the “Duo Parthenon”.

Christine Rauh and Johannes Nies completed graduate studies in chamber music with Markus Becker at Hanover’s University of Music and Theatre in 2009, when they were awarded first-class honours for their concert exam the same year. They continue to get artistic stimulus from Markus Becker, David Geringas, Gerhard Mantel and Jens Peter Maintz.