Background
Günter Pichler was born and raised in Kufstein, Tyrol, Austria.
conductor musician university professor violinist
Günter Pichler was born and raised in Kufstein, Tyrol, Austria.
University of Music and Performing Arts.
He was the 1st violin in the Alban Berg Quartett. He was accepted at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in 1955. He joined the Vienna Symphony as concertmaster under Wolfgang Sawallisch at the age of 18.
At 21, he was made concertmaster by the Vienna Philharmonic thanks to a tie-breaking vote on his appointment by conductor Herbert von Karajan.
From 1963 to 2009 he taught at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna as a professor, from 1993 to 2012 he was a professor at Cologne University of Music. In 2007 he was appointed head of the department for chamber music at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid.
In addition he teaches at several summer academies, including Pro Quartet Paris, Accademia Chighiana Siena and the Misqua Montreal. Also among his students are musicians from many chamber music ensembles such as the Artemis, Aron, Belcea, Casals, Fauré quartets, the Trio con brio, das Atos-, Eggner-, Morgenstern trios and up and coming ensembles such as the Acies, Amaryllis, Cavaleri, Finzi, Piatti, Minetti, Schumann and Voce quartets.
In 1970 Günter Pichler founded the Alban Berg Quartett which went on to become one of the most famous string quartet in the world.
He has since conducted many orchestras on concerts and on tour, including Stuttgart Chamber OrchestraStuttgart, Vienna and Israel Chamber Orchestras, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, das Orchestra della Toscana Firenze, I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, das Hallé Orchestra, das Orchestre nationale de Lille, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders. In Japan he has conducted all the great symphony orchestras such as the Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestras and the Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai Symphony Orchestra. From 2001 until 2006 he was the principal guest conductor of the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and has since become its artistic advisor.
Recipient of the Mozart Medal (1969).