Martin Grubinger

Univ.-Prof. for classical percussion & multipercussion⋅Department Brass, Wind & Percussion Studies⋅Pre-College

Martin Grubinger studied at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz and at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, but already drew attention to himself as a youngster at international competitions, including the second World Marimba Competition in Okaya and the EBU Competition in Norway. Since 2015 Grubinger has been a lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts, and since 2018 he has been a university professor for classical percussion & multipercussion at the Mozarteum University.

Technical perfection, joy of playing and musical versatility make Martin Grubinger perhaps the best multipercussionist in the world. His repertoire ranges from solo works and chamber music programs with his Percussive Planet Ensemble to solo concerts. The Austrian has made a special contribution to placing the percussion as a solo instrument at the center of classical concerts. Commissioned compositions such as Avner Dorman's "Frozen in Time" (2007), Friedrich Cerha's "Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra" (2008), which was performed in 2012 with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Peter Eötvös, play an important role in interaction with renowned orchestras Kairos was recorded, as well as Tan Dun's drum concerto "Tears of Nature" (2012). In the spring of 2014, the world premiere of the percussion concerto "Speaking Drums" followed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of the composer Peter Eötvös. Premieres of new percussion concertos by Fazil Says and Daníel Bjarnason are planned for the 2018/19 season. Grubinger's large-scale percussion projects such as "The Percussive Planet", "Century of Percussion" and "Caribbean Showdown" document his versatility. In 2016/17 he was Artist in Residence at the Elbphilharmonie; He had further residencies with the Camerata Salzburg, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Vienna Concert Hall and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. In addition, Martin Grubinger impressed with appearances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan, NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg, Munich, Dresden and Hamburg Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic. Grubinger is also a guest with renowned American orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Martin Grubinger is a welcome guest at well-known festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, Heidelberg Spring, Bregenz Festival, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Lucerne Festival and the Salzburg Festival, in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Brass & Percussion Festival at the renowned Suntory Hall in Tokyo and at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago. In 2013 he was Artiste Étoile at the Lucerne Festival. He has already received numerous awards and has won the "Bernstein Award" from the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Würth Prize from Jeunesses Musicales Germany. Grubinger released the CD "Drums 'n' chant" and a live recording of "Percussive Planet" on DVD on Deutsche Grammophon. Further recordings appeared on various labels, including Sony, Kairos, Ondine and BIS.