A never-ending curiosity, combined with a deep passion for music led British/Brazilian violinist Rodolfo Richter to pursue a diverse career as director, soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, concertmaster, teacher and composer.

 

Richter is a frequent guest director and soloist around the world, including regular engagements with Tafelmusik (Toronto), Arion (Montréal), Portland Baroque Orchestra, Tesserae (Los Angeles), Seville Baroque Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Academy of Ancient Music and B’Rock. 

 

Praised by the international press as ‘one of the most inspirational baroque violinists of his generation’, chamber music has always been at the core of his activities over the years as the leading violinist of many acclaimed groups, such as The Palladian Ensemble, Florilegium, Steinitz Bach Players and Theatre of the Ayre. He often performs in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including London’s The Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Berlin, Musikverein Wien, Sydney’s City Hall, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and the Alice Tully and Carnegie Halls in New York.

 

His love for new and old music, particularly early 20th-century chamber music, resulted in the creation of the Richter Ensemble in 2018. With the aim to explore hidden connections between works from different eras, the group often presents programs as varied as Bach/Webern, Schubert/Schoenberg, Rebel/Part or Vivaldi/Reich/Ligeti.

 

In great demand as a guest concertmaster, Rodolfo has led The English Concert, Concerto Köln, Capella Mediterranea, Pygmaleon, Ex Cathedra, La Nuova Musica, Die Kölner Akademie and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.  He has collaborated with many eminent conductors such as Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Mark Elder, Gustav Leonhardt, René Jacobs, Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, Marris Jansons and Pierre Boulez. He is a former concertmaster of the Academy of Ancient Music (2005-2015) and B’Rock (2009-2018).

 

Richter’s extensive discography includes Bach's Brandenburg Concertos with AAM (Harmonia Mundi USA) and Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons with B’Rock (Etcetera) as well as the first recording of the complete sonatas by Erlebach (Linn Records) and Guretzkyi’s violin concerto (Chandos). Currently he has embarked with the Richter Ensemble in a project of recording the complete Second Viennese School string quartets on gut strings, thereby proposing a unique interpretation to this repertory.

 

Recognising the importance of sharing knowledge, Rodolfo is the director of he Early Music Course and Festival at the Oficina de Música de Curitiba in Brazil since 2012. In addition to giving masterclasses all over the world, from 2007-2015 he was Professor of Baroque violin at the Royal College of Music in London.

 

Richter started his musical education studying counterpoint, harmony and free composition with Hans Joachim Koellreutter. On Koellreutter’s recommendation, he further developed his knowledge of composition by taking private lessons with Pierre Boulez and participating in master classes with Hans Joachim Hespos, Luigi Nono and Elliot Carter. His works have been performed in concert halls and festivals of new music worldwide. He was the musical director of the “Música Nova” concerts series promoted by the Fundação Cultural de Curitiba in Brazil. 

 

Klaus Wusthoff, I-Fu Wang and Pinchas Zuckermann were Richter’s main violin teachers. He later specialized in the Baroque violin with Monica Huggett. Richter was a prizewinner at the prestigious International Early Music Competition for Ensembles in Bruges (2000) and won first prize at the Antonio Vivaldi International Violin Competition (2001).

 

"I have rarely heard Vivaldi played with such hair-raising fizz and frenzy...Rodolfo Richter worked miracles of dexterity."   The Times, UK

 

“He proved, once again, to be an impressive soloist — and equal match to [Karina] Gauvin in being able to draw many colours and impeccable musical lines from his instrument. He is not a dramatic or otherwise showy performer, but the music he brings forward is pure gold.”

Scrutiny, Canada

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