Diyang Mei (viola)
Biography, Audio/Video, Photos, Concerto repertoire, Programmes
https://www.diyangmei.com
Biography
“The instantaneous grip, the electrifying playing style throughout, the logical phrasing, the rhythmic stability, and the staggeringly accurate intonation characterized all of Diyang Mei’s performances.”
Harald Eggebrecht, Süddeutsche Zeitung
Ever since violist Diyang Mei’s brilliant success at the 2018 ARD International Music Competition, winning first prize in the viola category, the Audience Prize, and several special prizes, he has been steadily furthering his international career. Since 2022, he serves as 1st Principal violist of Berliner Philharmoniker.
As a soloist, Diyang Mei has performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the SWR Festival Schwetzingen, the Schwarzwald Music Festival and the Mozartfest in Würzburg. He regularly collaborates with musicians such as Sir András Schiff, Belcea Quartett, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Enrico Pace, Boris Brovtsyn, Mihaela Martin, Frans Helmerson, Günter Pichler, Gerald Schultz, Ana Chumachenco, Sabine Meyer, Christoph Prégardien, Kian Soltani, Pablo Ferrández and Denis Kozhukhin among others.
Before Diyang Mei became the 1st principal viola of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he was offered the same position with the Munich Philharmonic from 2019 to 2022. He also teaches as visiting professor at the Hochschule für Musik ‘Hanns Eisler’ Berlin.
He was awarded first prizes at the 52nd International Instrumental Competition for Viola in Markneukirchen (2017), at the International Max Rostal Music Competition for Viola in Berlin (2015), at the Kulturkreis Gasteig Musikpreis for Strings in Munich (2015), at the IVC Young Artist Competition in Rochester (2012), at the 19th International Johannes Brahms Viola Competition in Austria (2012) and at the 10th International Viola and Cello Competition in Villa de Llanes, Spain (2008).
The violist’s recent Cd, titled “Viola a L’Ecole de Paris”, was released in 2022 by the label CAvI Music, a company of the Deutsche Grammophon.
Diyang Mei has studied with Hariolf Schlichtig at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich since 2014 and as of October 2019, will continue his studies with Nobuko Imai at the Kronberg Academy. He is supported by both the Yu Art Foundation in China and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. His instrument by Antonio Mariani from 1646 is made available to him from the Stretton society.
„Mei produced a reading [of Bartok’s Viola Concerto at the 2018 ARD competition] that was clear-sighted, outgoing and thoroughly enjoyable. As he had shown in the commissioned piece, he is an imaginative interpreter. In his hands the opening theme wandered like a lost soul, full of desolate, keen-edged beauty; elsewhere he delved into the darker, aggressively rhythmic passages with thrilling tenacity. The central Adagio religioso was as sweetly yearning as one could desire and, by the end of the piece, the listener had the impression of a player who might just have that intangible quality of an influential voice, perhaps even a new advocate for the viola.“
Chloe Cutts, The Strad, January 2019
Audio/Video
Concerto repertoire
J.C. Bach
Concerto for Viola in C minor
B. Bartók
Concerto for Viola
B. Britten
Lachrymae Op. 48
M. Bruch
Romance in F major, op. 85
E. Elgar (arr.)
Concerto for Cello in E minor (for Viola)
G.F. Handel
Concerto for Viola in B minor, op.6/12
P. Hindemith
“Der Schwanendreher”, Konzert für Viola & Kammerorchester
F. A. Hoffmeister
Concerto for Viola in D major
J.N. Hummel
Fantasie in E flat major, op.18
Potpourri op.94
W.A. Mozart
Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola in E flat major K. 364
N. Paganini
Sonate per la Grand Viola
A. Schnittke
Concerto for Viola
Monologue for Viola and Strings
C. Stamitz
Concerto for Viola in D major op.1
Takemitsu
A string around autumn
G.Ph. Telemann
Concerto for Viola in G major
W. Walton
Concerto for Viola
C.M. Weber
Andante e rondo Ungarese
C.F. Zelter
Concerto for Viola in E flat major
Programme
Viola (Diyang Mei), Clarinet (Sérgio Pires), Piano (Kosuke Akimoto)
Program 1
W.A. Mozart
„Kegelstatt-Trio“ in E flat Major K 498″
R. Schumann
Märchenerzählungen Op.132
Intermission
Max Bruch
Pieces for clarinet, viola and piano Op.83 no.1-8
___________
Program 2
W.A. Mozart
„Kegelstatt-Trio“ in E flat Major K 498″
J. Francaix
Trio for clarinet, viola and piano (1990)
Intermission
R. Clarke
Duo for clarinet and viola
M. Bruch
8 Pieces for clarinet, viola and piano, Op.83
___________
Viola/Piano
Program 1
L.v. Beethoven
Nocturne for Viola and Piano in D major Op. 42
H. Vieuxtemps
Sonata for viola and piano in B flat major
Pause
M. de Falla
Siete canciones populares españolas
S. Prokofiev
Romeo and Juliet
_________
Program 2
F. Schubert
Sonata in a minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821
P. Hindemith
Sonata Op. 25 no. 4
Pause
R. Schumann
Märchenbilder Op. 113
P. Hindemith
Sonata 1939
_________
Program3 (with pianist Julius Asal)
R. Clarke
Two pieces for viola and piano
I. Passacaglia II. Morpheus (13‘)
J. Brahms
Sonata for piano and viola E flat major, Op. 120/2 (22‘)
Intermission
J. Brahms
3 Intermezzi for piano, Op. 117 (15‘)
R. Clarke
Sonata for viola and piano
_________
Program 4
J.N. Hummel
Sonata for viola and piano Op. 5 no. 3
Clarke
Sonata for viola and piano
Pause
Shostakovich
Sonata for viola and piano Op. 147
_________
Program 5
Clara Schumann
3 Romances Op. 22
Dobrinka Tabakova
Pirin for solo viola
Dobrinka Tabakova
Suite in Jazz Style for viola and piano
Intermission
Rebecca Clarke
Morpheus for viola and piano
Rebecca Clarke
Sonata for viola and piano
Encore: Maria Theresia
from Paradise – Siciliene
_________
Program 6 (with the pianist Julius Asal)
“Perspectives”
H. I. F. Biber
Passacaglia in g minor for viola (8‘)
D. Shostakovich
Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 147 (36‘)
Intermission
D. Scarlatti
Three Sonatas for piano (8‘)
D. Shostakovich
Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 40 (arr. for viola and piano) (25‘)
_________