The Artist
European
trained violinist-composer Rupert Guenther specialises in bespoke
concerts of inspired new works and sonatas of his own breathtaking
improvisations. Every concert takes audiences on an immersive wellbeing
journey as much as a musical one, and each concert presents a new series
of highly imaginative site-specific “spirit of place” works, drawing
inspiration from thousands of years of human history, architecture,
nature, significant events through time, landscape, science, astronomy,
philosophy, paintings, poetry, geology, anthropology, ancient artefacts,
the night skies, mystical knowledge and personal stories. He creates
his music much the same as a painter paints their pictures with great
consideration onto a blank canvas, and since 2003 has independently
released over 35 albums of his evocative improvisations along these
lines, including 5 albums of his sonatas and other collected works
commissioned and recorded by Australia’s national broadcaster ABC
Classic FM radio.
He also produces many interesting projects beyond
classical music each year. These include world music concerts, ambient
and meditation concerts, blues and folk projects with other accomplished
artists in each of these fields. Collaborations have included Allan
Zavod (Frank Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty), Chris Copping (Procul Harem), Garry
Young (Daddy Cool), Stephen Housden (Little River Band), Geoff Wright
(JJ Cale), Andrew Duffield (The Models), David Jones (Vince Jones, James
Morrison), and many of Australia’s top session players including Les
Stacpool, Glenn Suckling, Steve Hadley, John Watson and John McAll.
Teaching
Trained
in the famous European violin pedagogue Igor Ozim’s method of playing
in Vienna, Austria, Rupert studied extensively with two of professor
Ozim’s proteges Brian Finlayson and Hefried Fister and attended
Masterclasses and Summer Schools with professor Ozim in Australia and
Europe. He was also heavily influenced by his contact with Norwegian
violinist professor Terje Moe Hansen and absorbed his all-interval
approach into his playing. He earlier studied for many years with Harry
Hutchins who was a student of Carl Flesch in Paris. Rupert’s approach is
all about holistic learning. He teaches holistic professional
development courses for players and teachers at all levels and offers
sessions in traditional violin studies, chamber music coaching, string
teacher training courses, classical music improvisation, the mystical
art of music, electric violin and extended playing techniques, as well
as very relevant and practical approaches to healing stage-fright,
self-care, wellbeing and meditation for musicians. His private clients
include principal players from some of Europe’s finest orchestras such
as Zurich Opera and La Scala, and some well-known pop musicians. His
healing stage-fright sessions and improvisation masterclasses have been
taught at many universities internationally including Vienna University
for Performing Arts (MDW), Vorarlberg Conservatorium (Austria), St Paul
in Lavantal Summercourse (Austria), international conferences for The
Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), the International Society
for Improvised Music (ISIM) in the USA and Switzerland, European String
Teachers Association (ESTA) in UK and Sweden, Australian Strings
Association (AUSTA), and Australian Society of Music Educators
(ASME/ISME), as well as Australian universities including University of
Western Australia, Western Australia Academy of Performing arts (WAAPA),
Monash University, and University of Queensland.
Collaborations
His
international collaborations in improvisation, cross-genre-arts and
multi-media improvisation performances embrace both solo and
collaborative ensemble projects based on site-specific (“spirit of
place”) themes, events and venues. These projects span musical
influences ranging from ancient cultures, western classical and other
world music traditions, through to amplified soundscapes, extended
playing techniques, electric violin, immersive meditation concerts,
blues and folk music, and are where the individual background of each
artist creates a completely unique synergy and language of music with
each pairing. His performances and recordings include Australian
keyboardist Andrew Duffield, drummer David Jones, Austrian/Australian
cellist Penelope Gunter-Thalhammer, Canadian gong master Don Conreaux,
American sculptor John Mayo, Australian indigenous musicians Dr Richard
Walley and Amos Roach, Australian sound sculpture artist Rod Cooper,
Australian composers Ros Bandt, Simon Charles and Brigid Burke, and
Melbourne pianist Melvyn Cann.
Wellbeing
Rupert brings a
lifetime of experience in simple approaches for wellbeing to musicians.
He has studied and practised meditation since a teenager and has been a
meditation teacher for over 20 years. He also holds Australian
government qualifications in Coaching and Mentoring, and in Training
& Assessment. Additionally he is an advocate for a shift to holistic
personal development and self-care in music and the arts, where the
artist consciously works on developing in self-esteem and humanistic
values in themselves equally in step with their music career and
professional development.
Inspirational Speaker
He is an
inspiring speaker on a wide range of topics, from violin playing, the
environment and freedom of speech, to self-esteem and wellbeing,
government and foreign policy, and he has presented regularly at many
prestigious international conferences. His central theme in all his work
encouraging others to embrace self-care and wellbeing to become the
best version of themselves is that we must, as a world, heal our low
self-esteem which otherwise allows us to continue the patterns of abuse
and being abused in ways manifesting as conflict and neglect at
societal, governmental, cultural, familial, personal and global levels -
the underlying factor is always self-esteem. In his own areas of
specialisation in music and the arts, Rupert holds out the same offer to
schools, universities, education organisations and administration, as
self-esteem is the central key to our wellbeing in every moment in these
areas also.
Advocacy
Rupert is a driving force for
new-paradigm holistic leadership in the arts, administration, government
and foreign policy, which emphasises fostering self-esteem, and
opportunity earned through demonstrating values of wellbeing and
capabilities for compassion, selflessness, inclusiveness, collaborative
teamwork and creativity as much as any concept of physical or
intellectual excellence.
Concerts & Tours
He regularly
gives recital tours and concerts internationally of his improvisations
solo and in collaborations in venues including Tate Britain, London
Docklands Museum, Bombora House NYC, the Church of St Anna in Vienna,
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Sydney Opera House,
Melbourne Recital Centre, Australian National University, National
Gallery of Victoria, Monash University LaTrobe Valley, Perth Winter Arts
Festival, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Government House Ballroom Perth, and
The Baroque Hall in Adelaide.
Sideman to The Stars
A former
member of the Vienna Chamber Opera, he has been sideman to the stars
including work with The Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin, Olivia
Newton-John, John Farnham, and Demis Roussos.
