Milan Turkovic
Encyclopedia
Milan Turković is an Austrian bassoon
ist who was born in Zagreb
, Croatia but grew up in Vienna
, Austria
.
He is considered one of the few internationally known soloists on his instrument. He was for many years the principal bassoon of the Vienna Symphony as well as a member of the period instrument ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien
. Turković is a member of the Ensemble Wien-Berlin, a woodwind quintet consisting of principal players of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center of New York
.
From 1984 until 1992, Turković was professor of bassoon at the Salzburg
Mozarteum. From 1992 until 2003, he taught at the Musikhochschule (conservatory) in Vienna. Since then he has concentrated increasingly on conducting.
Turković has performed as soloist with many important orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Symphony, Stockholm Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, English Concert, I Solisti Italiani, Camerata Academica Salzburg, NHK Symphony Tokyo, under conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach
, Carlo Maria Giulini
, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
, Sir Neville Marriner, Christopher Hogwood
, Trevor Pinnock
, Wolfgang Sawallisch
, Horst Stein
, Sandor Vegh, David Zinman
,
among others. In 1998 he toured the U.S. with Wynton Marsalis
performing the latter's "The Fiddler's Tale". The summer of 2000 saw the premiere of Marsalis's quintet for bassoon and string quartet entitled "Meeelaan!", which was dedicated to Turković on the occasion of his 60th birthday, and for which Turkovic holds exclusive performance rights.
Turković appears regularly at important festivals all over the world such as the Salzburg, Vienna, Lucerne, Lockenhaus, Naantali, Prades, New York, Osaka, Kusatsu (Japan), and others.
His discography consists of 15 CDs of solo repertoire, 26 CDs of chamber music, and over 200 CDs as a member of Concentus Musicus. He has recorded the Mozart Bassoon Concerto four times, the third having been played on a period instrument, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting. Turkovic's most recent releases include concerti of Weber
with Marriner, five bassoon concerti by Vivaldi
with I Solisti Italiani, and concerti of Christian Bach
and Kozeluh.
As a conductor, Milan Turković appears regularly with chamber orchestras and large wind ensembles. He has conducted in Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Milano, Rome, Florence, New York, Osaka, and elsewhere. He has also hosted his own music show on Austrian television. In autumn of 1998 Turković's first book, "Was Musiker Tagsüber tun: senza sordino", was published by Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna
(in German).
In March 2003 Turković and co-author Monika Mertl presented their new book in Vienna: "Die seltsamsten Wiener der Welt - Nikolaus Harnoncourt und sein Concentus Musicus", written for the 50th anniversary of the famous Concentus Musicus and published by Residenz Verlag (in German). In spring of 2005 Residenz Verlag published another of Turkovic's books dealing with the international music life, this time entitled "Hast du Töne! Ein musikalisches Tagebuch" (also in German).
Turković has a son from his first marriage who currently resides in Austin, Texas. Since 1993 he has been married to Ingrid Wendl, a former Olympic figure skating star, Austrian TV host, and recent member of Austrian Parliament. (Material taken from the artist's webpage).
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
ist who was born in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia but grew up in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
He is considered one of the few internationally known soloists on his instrument. He was for many years the principal bassoon of the Vienna Symphony as well as a member of the period instrument ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien
Concentus Musicus Wien
Concentus Musicus Wien is a baroque music ensemble founded by Nikolaus and Alice Harnoncourt in 1953. It generated the now well-established movement in performance and recordings to play early music on period instruments....
. Turković is a member of the Ensemble Wien-Berlin, a woodwind quintet consisting of principal players of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
From 1984 until 1992, Turković was professor of bassoon at the Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
Mozarteum. From 1992 until 2003, he taught at the Musikhochschule (conservatory) in Vienna. Since then he has concentrated increasingly on conducting.
Turković has performed as soloist with many important orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Symphony, Stockholm Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is a Swiss symphony orchestra, based in Geneva at the Victoria Hall...
, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, English Concert, I Solisti Italiani, Camerata Academica Salzburg, NHK Symphony Tokyo, under conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach , born February 20, 1940, Breslau, Germany is a German-born pianist and conductor. He currently holds positions in Washington, D.C. as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and music director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.-Early...
, Carlo Maria Giulini
Carlo Maria Giulini
Carlo Maria Giulini was an Italian conductor.-Biography:Giulini was born in Barletta, Italy, to a father born in Lombardy and a mother born in Naples; but he was raised in Bolzano, which at the time of his birth was part of Austria...
, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Nikolaus Harnoncourt is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era and earlier. Starting out as a classical cellist, he founded his own period instrument ensemble in the 1950s, and became a pioneer of the Early Music movement...
, Sir Neville Marriner, Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood CBE, MA , HonMusD , born 10 September 1941, Nottingham, is an English conductor, harpsichordist, writer and musicologist, well known as the founder of the Academy of Ancient Music.-Biography:...
, Trevor Pinnock
Trevor Pinnock
Trevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
, Horst Stein
Horst Stein
Horst Walter Stein was a German conductor.- Biography :...
, Sandor Vegh, David Zinman
David Zinman
David Zinman is an American conductor and violinist.After early violin studies at the Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota and took up conducting at Tanglewood...
,
among others. In 1998 he toured the U.S. with Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
performing the latter's "The Fiddler's Tale". The summer of 2000 saw the premiere of Marsalis's quintet for bassoon and string quartet entitled "Meeelaan!", which was dedicated to Turković on the occasion of his 60th birthday, and for which Turkovic holds exclusive performance rights.
Turković appears regularly at important festivals all over the world such as the Salzburg, Vienna, Lucerne, Lockenhaus, Naantali, Prades, New York, Osaka, Kusatsu (Japan), and others.
His discography consists of 15 CDs of solo repertoire, 26 CDs of chamber music, and over 200 CDs as a member of Concentus Musicus. He has recorded the Mozart Bassoon Concerto four times, the third having been played on a period instrument, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting. Turkovic's most recent releases include concerti of Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
with Marriner, five bassoon concerti by Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
with I Solisti Italiani, and concerti of Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to as 'the London Bach' or 'the English Bach', due to his time spent living in the British capital...
and Kozeluh.
As a conductor, Milan Turković appears regularly with chamber orchestras and large wind ensembles. He has conducted in Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Milano, Rome, Florence, New York, Osaka, and elsewhere. He has also hosted his own music show on Austrian television. In autumn of 1998 Turković's first book, "Was Musiker Tagsüber tun: senza sordino", was published by Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna
(in German).
In March 2003 Turković and co-author Monika Mertl presented their new book in Vienna: "Die seltsamsten Wiener der Welt - Nikolaus Harnoncourt und sein Concentus Musicus", written for the 50th anniversary of the famous Concentus Musicus and published by Residenz Verlag (in German). In spring of 2005 Residenz Verlag published another of Turkovic's books dealing with the international music life, this time entitled "Hast du Töne! Ein musikalisches Tagebuch" (also in German).
Turković has a son from his first marriage who currently resides in Austin, Texas. Since 1993 he has been married to Ingrid Wendl, a former Olympic figure skating star, Austrian TV host, and recent member of Austrian Parliament. (Material taken from the artist's webpage).
External links
- Interview with Milan Turkovic by Bruce Duffie, June 23, 1997