Aurelia Shimkus

Artist-in-residence

Latvia

Winner of the German music prize “ECHO KLASSIK 2016” in the category “Young Artist of the Year”

“So young and already so good! She demonstrates the richness of the nuances of her touch and her technical perfection in the brisk movements at the very best. In about five years, she can be at the very top!”

- Wiener Zeitung

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Winner of the German music prize “ECHO KLASSIK 2016” in the category “Young Artist of the Year”

  • Two solo albums released to great critical acclaim: BACH (2016) and SCHERZO (2013) on the German label ‘’Ars Produktion’’

  • Performances with such orchestras as the English Chamber Orchestra, the Dortmund Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Latvia.

  • Performances in prestigious halls such as the Konzerthaus Dortmund, Tonhalle Zurich, Rheingoldhalle Mainz and many others.

  • Prizewinner of the ‘’Kissiniger Klavierolymp’ in 2013

Biography

Aurelia Shimkus

Aurelia Shimkus– winner of the most important and renowned worldwide music awards- ECHO KLASSIK 2016 gained recognition of the ECHO award’s  jury- the most influential and acknowledged German experts- by releasing her second solo album-‘’ B-A-C-H. Ich ruf’ zu Dir’’ with works of J.S. Bach, F.Liszt as well as F. Busoni’s piano transcriptions of Bach’s organ works.

 

The CD has been also awarded with 6 out of 6 stars in the categories ‘’interpretation’’ and ‘’repertoire’’ by the prestigious German magazine ‘’Piano News’’ and has drawn attention by several other  most important German magazines, describing Aurelia’s performance as ‘’an extraordinary debut ’’ (Der Spiegel), ‘’(…)This is the greatest expression of emotional and individual piano playing at such a high level, that we can expect only from older artists.(…) Aurelia Shimkus is a marvelous pianist, despite her youth!’’- (Piano News), ‘’A highly talented pianist, of whom we will surely hear a lot’’  (Pizzicato), ‘’18 year old Aurelia Shimkus amazes with combining impressive boldness and precious tenderness in her musical language.(…) Taking her technically gifted play, her deeply rooted, religious ideas and her extremely wide musical ‘palette’ at face value, we cannot escape the feeling that we are dealing with a young, yet extraordinary talent ‘in progress’’’ (HRAudio.net France)

The presentation concert of the CD took place in Berlin (piano salon ‘’Christophori’’) at the beginning of this year.

 

Aurelia Shimkus

Born in November 1997 in Riga (Latvia)

Aurelia has released two solo CDs- Scherzo (2013) and Ich ruf’zu Dir (2016) on the German label ‘’ARS Produktion’’. Both of her CDs the prestigious German magazine Piano News reviewed with 6 out of 6 stars in the categories ‘’Interpretation’’ and ‘’Repertoire’’.

 

At the age of 15 Aurelia was invited to participate in the KlavierOlymp piano competition in Bad Kissingen where she received the 3rd prize. The Mozart-Gesellschaft Dortmund awarded her with its scholarship in 2014, giving her opportunities to perform at such concert venues as the Konzerthaus Dortmund and Stadthalle Bayreuth. She made her debut in the prestigious Tonhalle Zürich in the April 2016.

Aurelia has participated in the Interlaken Classics and Next Generation music festivals in Switzerland, Kissinger Sommer and Meister von Morgen in Germany and others.

 

Additionally, she has performed as a soloist with English Chamber Orchestra, Warsaw Symphony Orchestra, Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas Philharmonic Orchestra and others.

 

Aurelia is the winner of the ECHO Klassik 2016 in the nomination „Young Artist Of The Year“.