Gunar Letzbor

The Austrian director and violinist, Gunar Letzbor, studied composition, conducting and violin in Salzburg and Cologne. The acquaintance with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Reinhard Goebel lead him to concentrate on the interpretation of period music.

Gunar Letzbor was a regular member of Musica Antiqua Köln, Clemencic Consort, La Folia Salzburg, Armonico Tributo Basel and the Wiener Akademie. As as part of his commitment to these ensembles he attempted for years to express the tonal variety of Austrian baroque music. Concert tours lead him throughout Europe, the USA and Japan, where he also regularly performs as soloist in violin concertos with great success.

In 1995 Gunar Letzbor founded the ensemble Ars Antiqua Austria, with whom he created a great sensation with the recording of the violin concertos of J.S. Bach and the violin sonatas of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. A highly acclaimed recording of the Soanatas of the Mystery of the Rosary, also by H.I.F. Biber and the violin sonatas op. 4 by Viviani complete his recording activities so far.

Gunar Letzbor is a much requested teacher for the baroque violin. He is professor at the University of Music in Lübeck. As lecturer at several summer courses for the performance and playing practice of period instruments he passes on his experiences as ensemble leader and soloist to young musicians. His violin school “Violinist – Violin – Play the violin” is published at the Verlag Helbing.