FRANK FOERSTER, Principal Violist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since 1988, studied at the music schools of Hannover and Berlin and with Yehudi Menuhin in Gstaad, Switzerland. He came to America to study with Lillian Fuchs and Karen Tuttle at The Juilliard School, where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. At Juilliard he was principal violist of the Juilliard Orchestra and recipient of the prestigious Alice Tully Scholarship. After winning numerous competitions in Europe, he became the first solo violist to win the Artists International Auditions in New York in 1992. He then made his New York recital debut in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall.
Foerster has performed under Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic. Under the baton of Zdenek Macal, he was the soloist in five performances of Bartok’s Viola Concerto with the NJSO. As winner of the Aspen Concerto Competition, he performed Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher with the Aspen Festival Orchestra.
As a soloist and recitalist, Foerster has appeared in all major concert halls in the Metropolitan area. Highlights of the past season include an unaccompanied solo recital at Columbia University and a string trio concert at Merkin Hall with Tschaikovsky Competitions winners Nina Beilina and Nathaniel Rosen. He also appeared at the Berkley Center in Boston with Persian vocal master Sharam Nazeri, and with Emmy Award-winning composer/pianist Lee Johnson in a performance for President Jimmy Carter in Atlanta on the occasion of the International Human Rights Leaders Conference.
His talent as a composer became apparent in a recital at Manhattan’s Donnell Auditorium with pianist Colette Valentine when they performed three of Foerster’s own compositions for viola and piano: "Tourmaline," "Moonstone" and "Aquamarine."
In addition to the NJSO, Foerster also currently serves as principal violist of New York Scandia Symphony and is the violist of the Scandia String Quartet, a group specializing in Scandinavian repertoire that has performed several of Foerster’s arrangements. Last season, Scandia Symphony recorded Foerster’s Suite of Old Icelandic Folk Tunes and his Three Finnish Dances at Trinity Church in Manhattan and featured him as soloist in Sibelius’ Rondo, a work that he arranged for the orchestra. He also performed his own composition for viola and orchestra, "Scandinavian Suite," at Manhattan’s Trinity Church under conductor Dorrit Matson; Foerster had been commissioned by Scandia Symphony to write this work, which is based on old Scandinavian Folk Melodies. He is a member of PULSE and Numinous Jazz Ensemble, groups dedicated to premiering and recording new works by contemporary composers.
Together with NJSO Principal Bassist Paul Harris, Foerster is co-founder of Hyperion Chamber Players. They also bring classical music to youngsters by presenting educational lectures and demonstrations in high schools to stimulate students’ appreciation and understanding of great music.
Foerster is currently on the faculty of the City University of New York. He has also taught orchestral repertoire at Columbia University and at the Manhattan School of Music. Foerster recently gave masterclasses at Lincoln Center’s La Guardia High School of the Arts and at Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program for minority students. Recently, he has been coaching chamber music at Juilliard’s Pre-College program.
He has participated in numerous summer festivals as a teacher and performer both here and abroad, and has recorded for Centaur Records, Deutsche Grammophone, Rias Berlin, Südwestfunk Mainz and WQXR.
Press reviews:
"Noble, smooth toned and cultivated" - NY Times
"Last night, at Carnegie Hall, Frank Foerster brought the music fully to life" - NY Daily News
"Performed with tremendous fire and grace" - Pulse News Magazine
"Sparkling interpretation...supremely meaningful performance, vivid tone, warm animated vitality" - Zweibrücker Merkur
"Blossoming tone, astounding technique, enviable exactness of pitch in astonishingly difficult music" - Saarbrücker Allgemeine Zeitung
"Warm, expressive sound...honest commitment to the music... flawless" - Strings Magazine |
