Roland Glassl

Masterclass Viola

Roland Glassl has earned an international reputation as a soloist and chamber musician. His achievements include numerous awards at prestigious competitions, such as First Prize at the "Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition" (the first German to win this prize), where he also received the "Peter Schidlof Prize" for the finalist with the most beautiful tone. Other accolades include First Prize at the "Washington International Competition for Strings," winner of the 1st International Viola Competition in Vienna, and First Prize at the German Viola Society Competition in Celle. His 16-year tenure with the Mandelring Quartet has taken him to major stages and international festivals around the world.

Glassl has performed in renowned venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, Chamber Music International (CMI) in Dallas, the Caramoor Festival in New York, the Musica Riva Festival in Riva del Garda, and the Open Chamber Music Festival in Prussia Cove.

As a soloist, he has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Hermann Bäumer, Howard Griffiths, Markus Poschner, Alfred Eschwé, and Theodor Guschlbauer. He has performed with orchestras such as the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, the Philharmonic State Orchestra Mainz, the China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra, the Georgian Chamber Orchestra, the German State Philharmonic Orchestra of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra Pécs, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, and the Prague Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Glassl has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Leon Fleisher, Miriam Fried, Pekka Kuusisto, Julia Fischer, Sophia Jaffé, Lisa Batiashvili, Michael Sanderling, Sharon Kam, Michel Lethiec, Atar Arad, Michael Tree, Hariolf Schlichtig, and the Danel and Henschel Quartets.

Teaching has always been an important complement to Glassl's performance career. From 2004 to 2018, he succeeded Tabea Zimmermann as Professor of Viola at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. In 2018, he returned to his roots by taking over the position previously held by Prof. Hariolf Schlichtig at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

Born in Ingolstadt, Glassl comes from a family of violin makers and plays an instrument crafted by his father in 2002. His initial violin instruction came from his father, followed by studies with Gerhard Seitz in Munich. In 1992, he began his studies at the Munich University of Music under Prof. Ana Chumachenco, graduating with distinction in 1996. During his studies, Glassl became fascinated by the viola’s extraordinary tonal range. Inspired by teachers such as Thomas Riebl, Roland Metzger, and Hariolf Schlichtig, he decided to dedicate himself fully to the viola. His playing was significantly shaped by subsequent studies with Atar Arad at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA, supported by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

After completing his "Artist Diploma," Glassl returned to Germany to focus on both chamber music and solo performances. In addition to his extensive work with the Mandelring Quartet (1999–2015), he performs with the Trio Charolca, a unique ensemble featuring harp, flute, and viola, known for its rich tonal palette.