Christian Tetzlaff

Renowned for his mastery across a vast range spanning Bach to present-day compositions, violinist Christian Tetzlaff commands widespread respect. Frequently sought as a concerto performer, he also pursues chamber music, joining his sister Tanja Tetzlaff in the Tetzlaff Quartet.

Born in Hamburg on April 29, 1966, Christian Tetzlaff grew up with parents who performed in the choir led by his father, a preacher. Early aptitude emerged on both violin and piano; drawn primarily to the violin, he first appeared publicly at age 14 in the Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61. He pursued studies at the Musikhochschule Lübeck under Uwe-Martin Haiberg before continuing at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Walter Levine.

International notice arrived in 1988 through performances of Schoenberg’s Violin Concerto, Op. 36, alongside the Cleveland Orchestra and the Munich Philharmonic, praised for exacting execution and an unsentimental approach he has sustained ever since. A 1991 Virgin Classics release of Haydn’s three violin concertos initiated a lengthy association with that label. Tetzlaff lives with neurodermatitis that produces pain in the left hand upon contact with violin strings, prompting various adaptations such as thimbles to manage the condition.

He has appeared with nearly every prominent orchestra worldwide. Since his New York recital debut at the 92nd Street Y in 1993, his solo programs have reached equally prestigious venues. Together with his sister Tanja Tetzlaff he established the Tetzlaff Quartet in 1994, which quickly gained an international following; duo partnerships have included pianists Leif-Ove Andsnes and Christoph Eschenbach as well as cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

After earlier releases on CAvi-Music, Decca, and additional imprints, Tetzlaff joined Ondine in 2013 and has continued there, issuing the Beethoven and Sibelius violin concertos with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2019. An Alpha recording of Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, D. 956, followed in 2021.