Constanze Beckmann Biography German born pianist and curator, Constanze Beckmann, is a passionate advocate for cultural exchange and tolerance through the arts. The legendary conductor, Kurt Sanderling, praised her as “A musician with extraordinary musical taste and great potential as a performer”. As a soloist, Constanze has performed throughout Europe, Canada, and Israel; including the Berliner Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Freie Akademie der Künste in Hamburg, the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Canadian Opera Company, and Koerner Hall, in Toronto.
Working with musicians from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Constanze was acknowledged by Claudio Abbado as “A sensitive and gifted chamber musician”. A sought after collaborator for singers and string players, Constanze regularly plays with musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, among others.
Constanze has originated and performed in numerous projects as a pianist and curator; including recitals as part of Holocaust Education Week since 2010, featuring works composed by Holocaust survivors. These were followed by exhibits and lectures in collaboration with well-known artists such as Samuel Bak. At the request of the German Embassy in Ottawa, Ms. Beckmann created and performed a musical program in remembrance of the 80th Reichskristallnacht, with concerts in Toronto and Ottawa.
In 2019, the German Embassy in Ottawa initiated and sponsored a project in memory of the late George Brady, and the victims of Terezín.
With the ongoing support of The Embassy, Constanze has curated a musical program which includes The Ethics (2015), for violin, piano, percussion, and chorus composed by the Israeli-American violinist, Ittai Shapira. The performances will feature the Schulich Singers under the baton of Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée, in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. In addition, Ms. Beckmann has commissioned a chamber version of The Ethics, with soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, which will premiere in Toronto at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre – Canadian Opera Company.
The winner of several first prizes and special awards in major youth competitions, including the International Steinway Competition and “Jugend Musiziert“, Constanze has performed with renowned orchestras including the Berlin Symphonic Orchestra, the Kammerakademie Potsdam, and the Erzgebirgisches Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Beckmann received her Performance Diploma in Piano from the The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under the tutelage of John Perry. She also holds a Bachelor of Music and Economics from the Thompson Rivers University in BC. She has participated in master classes for some of the world’s finest musicians, including Leon Fleisher, Arie Vardi, and Dmitri Bashkirov. Further mentors include Robert Levin, Elena Richter and Ilana Vered. She received her M.M. at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Phillip Kawin. Ms. Beckmann received an O1 visa in December 2020 and is currently working for Sound Potential, Inc. developing Holocaust related projects.