The Pianist

Richard Kratzmann is the son of a German family in Prague. He studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. After completing his concert diploma and master class with professors Frantisek Rauch and Josef Palenicek with highest honours, he performed concerts on worldwide tours (four times through the USSR alone) and played as a soloist with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in different countries. Some of his concerts were recorded by broadcasting stations of different nations, and some were broadcast live. Further he taught at the academy of music in Prague and worked closely with Prague Radio and the Czech television.

He was appointed soloist with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in1970. In 1974 the composer Lubos Fiser dedicated his new piano sonata No.5 to Kratzmann which the pianist performed for the first time in Havana a year later. An intensive working friendship arose between the composer and Kratzmann.

In 1978 the artist settled in Munich, Germany, and worked closely with the long-term chief of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik - followed with numerous recordings at the Bavarian Radio and Radio Bremen as well as a co-operation with Radio Freies Berlin. Further he played as soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Bamberger Symphoniker. In addition to his concerts, he also mentors young talented musicians. His unique and sophisticated repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary music.

e​f

1947 - 1960

Piano Student of a couple of known music teachers and pianists like Dr. Otakar Vondrovic
1960 – 1962

Founding of a duo with contrabassist Vaclav Fuka, member of the Czech Nonet
First price award in the art of piano and first prize for duo at the artist contest in Bratislava

1964 – 1970

Studies at the Academy of Contemporary Arts in Prague as well as various concerts
Master student of Professor Frantisek Rauch and Josef Palenicek University degree “summa cum laude”

1970

Final concert with the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK
Recordings of the documentary “Johannes Brahms and his 2nd piano concert B-flat minor” for the Czech television

1970 – 1973

Soloist of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and solo performances
Concert tours through Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, England, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Scotland and the USSR
Radio and television recordings in Prague
LP production (1971) “Richard Kratzmann Piano”

1973 - 1977;

Professor at the Prague Conservatory
1974 – 1977

Concerts in Egypt, Cuba, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the USSR

1975

Premiere of Fisers’ sonata no. 5, which was composed a year earlier and dedicated to the pianist Kratzmann

1978

Emigration to West-Germany

1980

Prelude to the chief director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Rafael Kubelik
1980 – 2004

Solo concerts in Germany

1981 – 1995

Recordings for Bavarian Broadcasting as a soloist with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra as well as Radio Bremen
1987

Production of the CD “Russian Piano Music”
1983 – heute

Music teacher for piano in Munich