Season 4 Episode 7: Theo Plath

Legends of Reed

In 2019 Theo was appointed principal of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and he won 3rd Prize at the ARD Competition in Munich.

As a soloist Theo has appeared with the Munich Chamber, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Beethoven Orchester Bonn. Recent highlights include recitals at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Prinzregententheater in Munich and the Heidelberger-Frühling Festival. An avid chamber musician he has taken part in the Schleswig-Holstein, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Molyvos, Davos and ‘Spannungen’ Heimbach Festivals, collaborating with Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas, Vilde Frang, among many others.

He is a member of the prize-winning Monet Wind Quintet, whose first CD in collaboration with Sudwest Rundfunk will be released by AVI later this year.

In 2018 Theo was appointed principal of the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared as guest principal with leading orchestras including the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the WDR Sinfonieorchester and the Hessiche Rundfunk.

Born in Koblenz, Theo completed his Masters at the Hochschule fur Musik Munchen with Professor Dag Jensen. In 2018 he won a prestigious Deutsche Musikwettbewerb prize and in 2019 was selected for representation by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT).

Other awards include 1st Prize in the Munich Gasteig Competition (2014), Aeolus Wind Competition (2012), Crusell Competition in Finland (2011) and the Hummel Competition in Wurzburg (2011).

During his studies Theo has participated in masterclasses with Klaus Thunemann and Sergio Azzolini, and been the recipient of numerous scholarships including the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben and Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund awards. Since 2016 he has taken part in the Rhapsody in School project, founded by Lars Vogt, bringing classical music to children throughout Germany.

Show Notes:

Theo Plath, a bassoonist, shares his journey in music and his passion for playing the bassoon. He discusses how he started playing the instrument and his love for all types of music, including string repertoire. Plath also talks about his albums, including 'Lost Times' and 'Balkan Discoveries,' and the inspiration behind them. He shares his experiences working with renowned musicians and his approach to staying motivated and focused. Plath also provides insights into orchestra etiquette, his reed-making process, and his hobbies outside of music.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:12 Discovering the Bassoon

04:09 Exploring String Repertoire on the Bassoon

08:00 Transcribing and Playing Violin Repertoire

11:30 Staying Motivated and Focused in Music

31:14 Creating Vibrating Reeds for a Dark and Robust Sound

33:13 Sewing Clothes and Reed-Making: Similar Hobbies

34:10 Enjoying the Mountains and Bringing a Bassoon

Find out more about Theo Plath here:

https://www.theoplath.de

IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoplathbassoon/

Host: Jo Anne Sukumaran, https://www.joannesukumaran.com IG: / jewelair2.0 Support the show - Buy me a Coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/jewelair

Beginning video courtesy Theo Plath:

Niccolò Paganini: Caprice Op.1 No.5 Transcription for bassoon solo Artist photo (c) Marco Borggreve