Michael Willens: “I had the good fortune to be introduced to the wonderful violinist Noé Inui, whose rare talents I have admired for a long time! Our performances of the Beethoven and Viotti violin concertos will surely bring joy not only to us, but to all those who will have the opportunity to experience it. Our ongoing collaboration of the exploration and performances of the Viotti violin concertos, of which recordings are being planned, proves to be an exciting adventure and continues to bring great joy.”
Orchestra: KÖLNER AKADEMIE
The Kölner Akademie, one of Europe’s leading period-instrument orchestras, takes you on a journey through classical music: expressive, virtuosic, and exact in every detail. From the baroque to the present, the broad repertoire of this unique ensemble, under the artistic direction of its internationally renowned conductor Michael Alexander Willens, has been awarded numerous prizes.
The orchestra is dedicated not only to the core Classical and Romantic repertoire, but also to the rediscovery and revival of unjustly neglected musical treasures from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Known and lesser-known composers are impressively represented by this period-instrumental orchestra. Performances at international festivals, live television and radio broadcasts in connection with their highly acclaimed CD-recordings have made the Kölner Akademie well-known far beyond their national borders.
Apart from works by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, the ensemble shows their broad musical scope in full detail, especially with their series of world premiere-recordings by under-appreciated composers.
Audiolink: Mendelssohn, Pianoconcert nr 1, Koelner Akademie & Ronald Brautigam
Audiolink: Ouverture Mozart, Nozze di Figaro, K. 492, Kölner Akademie
Videolink: Heinrich Schütz Musikalisches Exequien, Kölner Akademie
Conductor: MICHAEL ALEXANDER WILLENS
Michael Alexander Willens has established an international reputation as conductor of the Kölner Akademie. Under his artistic direction, the ensemble has developed a distinctive profile through historically informed performances, innovative programming, and pioneering recordings of rarely performed repertoire.
Willens’ extensive discography of more than 100 recordings has garnered wide critical acclaim and numerous international distinctions. Among his most notable achievements are his four prestigious German Record Critics’ Awards (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) and the prestigious Telemann Prize in 2026 in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the interpretation and promotion of Baroque repertoire.
With the Kölner Akademie, Willens has appeared extensively throughout Europe, North and South America, Latin America, and Asia, performing at leading festivals and concert venues. He has collaborated with renowned artists including Ronald Brautigam, Carolyn Sampson, Avi Avital, Albrecht Mayer, and Pieter Wispelwey.
Current and future projects continue Willens’ commitment to uncovering overlooked repertoire and expanding the orchestral canon.
Soloist: NOÉ INUI (see bio Noé Inui: )
Program: Violin concerti VIOTTI & BEETHOVEN, soloist: Noé Inui
Giovanni Battista Viotti significantly influenced Ludwig van Beethoven by establishing the grand, symphonic scale of the violin concerto. Viotti’s dramatic lyricism and expansion of the concerto form provided a structural model that directly inspired Beethoven’s own approach to writing for the violin.
Viotti’s Violin Concerto No. 22 in a-minor is considered his masterpiece. It was deeply admired not only by Beethoven, but also by Joh. Brahms, who used the format as a model for his own violin concertos.
There are striking musical and structural similarities between Viotti’s violin concertos (particularly No. 22) and Beethoven’s famous Violin Concerto; Beethoven heavily integrated the idioms of the French Violin School, pioneered by Viotti, into his own masterpiece.
