Denis Patkovic
Accordion
Denis Patkovic was born in Calw (county Württemberg, Germany). His family roots go back to former Yugoslavia where the accordion is considered to be the national instrument. So naturally the five year old Denis Patkovic was drawn to the accordion, leading to a professional solo career after his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg with Prof. Stefan Hussong. After his graduation - which he passed with distinction - he stayed with Hussong for further masterclass studies.
A scholarship of the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst took him to Helsinki where he studied historically informed performance under the tuition of Jukka Tiensuu, focussing especially on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Since 2007 Patkovic has been a postgraduate in Tiensuu’s class at the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki.
Out of this educational relationship also grew an artistic relationship. Out of this came Tiensuu’s cycle for accordion “Erz”, composed as a complementary cycle to Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”. The movements of both works are entwined in performance, contrasting or complementing each other, thus the combination of Bach’s work with “Erz” becomes an exciting new work of its own. The first performance of the cycle, called “Gold Mine Variations”, took place in 2006 in Tokyo.
Denis Patkovic has recorded for Südwestdeutsche Rundfunk under the direction of Matthias Pintscher and Peter Hirsch with the Deutsche Radiophilharmomie and the Philharmonische Orchester Mainz. Solo appearances performing the “Gold Mine Variations” last season included Schleswig Holstein Festival, Salzburg Festival, Festival Mitte Europa, Bachwoche Ansbach and Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte.
An exclusive artist of Hänssler Classic, Patkovic released his debut CD “Gold mine/berg Variations” on this label in 2008. The release received the “Supersonic Award” from “pizzicato” magazine and Süddeutsche Zeitung voted it “Best record of 2008”. Denis Patkovic is announced as winner of the prestigious Kulturpreis der Europäischen Kulturstiftung 2009.
SEASON 2009/2010
