Curriculum Vitae

Born in Cologne in 1976, Carl Wolf began to take an interest in the piano at the age of five. After initially taking private piano lessons at the age of 11, he made his first appearance as a soloist with orchestra in his hometown of Bergheim (Mozart Piano Concerto in A Major KV 414). After four years as a pre-college-student at the Cologne Musikhochschule in the class of Roswitha Gediga and the matriculation in 1995, he continued to study with her until his concert diploma, before he was admitted to the soloist class of the famous Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman at the Musikhochschule Basel (CH) in 2000, which consisted of only a few students.

The requirements for this audition were very high; only two of 45 invited pianists were admitted. After he had learned almost everything from Roswitha Gediga in Cologne that is technically and musically «vital» for a pianist, he was able to learn from Krystian Zimerman at a higher level over the next four years not only to play music, but to live it.

Both the Concert Diploma in Cologne and the Soloist Diploma in Basel Carl Wolf graduated „with distinction“ and also earned his teaching diploma, with which he completed his long studies in 2006.

Already in his youth he began an intensive concert activity in piano recitals, concerts as a soloist with orchestra as well as in different chamber music formations and continued this – in connection with his participation in various competitions and master classes – also during his studies.

After winning the 52nd International Piano Competition „Ferruccio Busoni“ in Bozen (Italy) many concerts in the Kölner Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Musikhalle Hamburg, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, the Casino Basel and in many other cities in Germany, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland followed.

He has also been a guest at various renowned music festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Dresdner music festival, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern music festival, the Meraner Festwochen, the International Chamber Music Festival St. Moritz as well as the „Festival for young artists in concert“ Davos.

In addition to his various pianistic activities, Carl Wolf has long devoted himself intensively and enthusiastically to teaching, for many years as a lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and at the Winterthur Conservatory with a class of 15 young people, adults and pre-college-students.

He continues to have close personal and professional ties with the conservatory in his second home town of Basel, where he has lived for almost 20 years. As a Korrepetitior he works intensively with the cello classes of Thomas Demenga, Raphael Rosenfeld and Danjulo Ishizaka.

His work with various Swiss choirs, such as the Cantabile Chor Pratteln, the Kantorei St. Arbogast Muttenz, the Münsterkantorei Basel, the Oratorienchor Kreuzlingen and the Projektchor Rheinfelden, is particularly close to his heart, as is his ability to quickly grasp complex piano scores, combined with immediate, musically helpful interpretation.