© 2024 by Paul Cibis. All rights reserved.

About

Educated in Hanover, Berlin and London, pianist Paul Cibis has performed on five continents, establishing an international career. He has played solo and duo recitals at festivals in his native Germany, France, the UK, the US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Paul also appeared on electronic medias around the world, including the BBC, WDR, 3Sat, ORB, HR, RTHK and CCTV.Following his interest in presenting classical music in unique and innovative ways, he created the PIANO BATTLE concert brand which he co-developed with fellow pianist Andreas Kern. Their acclaimed shows have been performed in major venues and festivals in Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, the US and Australia, including the Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Rheingau Musik Festival, the Prinzregententheater Munich, Berlin Philharmonie, Melbourne Recital Hall, Seoul Arts Center and the National Concert Hall Taipei.Paul has also been involved in various film projects. He penned the music scores for several short films, and was the initiator as well as music supervisor of the international award-winning documentary PIANOMANIA.His CD recordings include an album of French mélodies and piano works by Berlioz, Fauré and Debussy, with German mezzo-soprano Barbara Senator, and a solo album featuring the Taiwanese composer Kai-nan Huang.Paul Cibis conducted solo piano and Lied workshops at universities and academies in the US, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea and Singapore. He is the co-director of the annual Philomel Music Academy summer course, and a founding member and current chairman of the international Peter Feuchtwanger Society.Paul Cibis studied piano with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling (HMTM Hanover), Peter Feuchtwanger (London), Eugene Asti and Graham Johnson (GSMD). Furthermore he read musicology and philosophy in Berlin and at the Royal Holloway, University of London. From 2005 to 2009, Paul was a vocal coach at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. He was also an adjudicator for pianists at the Hong Kong Music & Speech Festival competition in 2009 and 2014.

PIANO BATTLE

"As the competition got white-hot, the performers and the audience found themselves unable to sit back down… as the crowd looked on, nervous and excited, immersed in the beauty and tension of the music … And when the smoke clears, the only thing that’s been defeated is the barrier between classical music and the audience."
(map Magazine, China)

"The Piano Battle between the two men facing each other at the grand pianos is a publicly staged and artfully performed contemplation of the classical concert business as well as classical music itself. Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis purposefully present their expertly executed craft in the wrong – an athletic - context and let the unique qualities of their performance shine even brighter this way. Between the comedic remarks and over the course of a lovely Schubert Impromptu and a biting Ligeti piece, they compel the audience to engage in the focused mindfulness that is necessary to truly appreciate music."
(Berliner Morgenpost, Germany)

Paul Cibis and Andreas Kern originally created the concept for the Hong Kong City Festival in 2010. Since then PIANO BATTLE has been performed for sold-out audiences in Europe, the United States and Asia – including the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Seoul Arts Center and an open air spectacle before 6,000 fans in Taiwan.Since its Germany premiere in Berlin in 2012, the show has also been well-received in Europe and North America with invitations to venues and festivals such as the Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Rheingau Musik Festival, the Prinzregententheater München, Berliner Philharmonie, Melbourne Recital Centre, Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Beijing Concert Hall und National Concert Hall Taipei; and at Piano City Festivals in Milano & Naples, Italy.Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis have expanded their concept - in 2016 with the premiere of their show sequel “PIANO BATTLE Ready for Fame”, and in 2017 with “PIANO BATTLE meets ORCHESTRA”. They are currently developing 2 new shows, one of them featuring the music of Beethoven, the other consisting of their own musical material and arrangements.

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EDUCATION

Education is one the most rewarding activities one can engage in as a musician. I was fortunate to start my path as an assistant of Prof Peter Feuchtwanger, who mentored many of the world's leading concert pianists.One of my long-term passion has always been the research on healthy piano techniques that prevent and successfully treat any playing-related injuries such as tendonitis, exostosis and focal dystonia etc. In London, I assisted Prof Feuchtwanger at several master classes and workshops for the International Society for Study of Tension in Performance (ISSTIP) and the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) in London.

Today, I am one of the founding members and current chairman of the international PETER FEUCHTWANGER SOCIETY. The society supports musicological and pedagogical research projects through the annual Feuchtwanger Piano Symposium and the establishment of a Peter Feuchtwanger Archive.

Whenever my performing schedule allows, I am keen to meet the next generation of musicians. Over the years, I have been invited to conduct master classes and workshops for pianists in Germany, UK, US, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea (Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Shanghai Normal University, Xinghai Conservatory of Music Guangzhou, China, Yamaha Centre Taichung, Taiwan, and Keongnam Arts High School Jinju, South Korea).

In 2016, together with my colleague Pavel Timofeyevsky, I founded the Oxford Piano School, an annual piano course held in conjunction with the Oxford Cello School’s summer festival in Oxford, UK. Since 2021, this summer course has extended and continued as PHILOMEL MUSIC ACADEMY, now taking place at Menhuin School, London.

The international award-winning documentary PIANOMANIA (2009), is the culmination of another musical project that I am proud to have initiated. Based on the eclectic character of Steinway technician Stefan Knüpfer who was an old acquaintance of mine, my brother film-maker Robert Cibis produced a film about Knüpfer's life and work with various pianist personalities. I was also the music supervisor during its filming and post production period.

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Curruculum Vitae

Educational Work

- 2021: Workshops for Pianists & Singers at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore
- Since 2018: Founding member and current chairman of the international Peter Feuchtwanger Society, Germany
- Since 2016: Co-Founder or the annual Oxford Piano School / Philomel Music Academy summer course
- 2009 - 2019: Annual master class at Keongnam Arts High School Jinju, South Korea
- 2009, 2010 & 2014: Adjudicator for pianists at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Competition, Hong Kong
- Since 2004: Master classes and workshops for pianists in Germany, UK, USA, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
- 2002 - 2012: Assistant of Prof. Peter Feuchtwanger in London and at master classes and workshops of the International Society for Study of Tension in Performance (ISSTIP) and the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) in London - Intensive experience in dealing with physiological aspects of piano playing and successful treatment of playing-related problems and injuries such as tendonitis, exostosis, focal dystonia etc
- 2009: Lieder workshop in Durban, South Africa (Amazwi Omzansi Africa Foundation)
- 2007 - 2009: Lieder master classes and concerts at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China
- 2005 - 2009: Vocal coach at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, London
- 2003 - 2005: Professional accompanist at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

Performances

- Since 2012: Co-Creator of the PIANO BATTLE concert brand with over 400 performances at venues & festivals in Europe, Asia and the US including the Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Rheingau Musik Festival, the Prinzregententheater Munich, Berlin Philharmonie, Seoul Arts Center or National Concert Hall Taipei.
- Solo and duo recitals at festivals in his native Germany, France, the UK, the US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand
- Radio & TV performances for various media stations around the world, including the BBC, WDR, 3Sat, ORB, HR, RTHK and CCTV
- 2007: World premiere performance of the song cycle 7 Art Songs by Tony Hymas (together with mezzo-soprano Monica Brett-Crowther in London, with BBC recording)
- 2001 - 2015: Pianist of the German vocalist Eva Meier in over 100 recitals performing an extensive range of the German Literary Chanson repertoire (Weill, Eisler, Hollaender, Spoliansky, Peer Raben etc)
- 1999 - 2003: Pianist of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie orchestra (e.g. soloist in "Petroushka" by Stravinsky), also member of the programme committee; concerts with the orchestra in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Spain

SPECIALS

- 2008 - 2009: Initiator and music supervisor of the international award-winning documentary "Pianomania", produced by OVALmedia Berlin, Germany
- 1991: Film score for the short movie "Der deutsche Mittagstisch", published by CIRO Film, Germany

Awards

- 2013 - 2014: Scholarship for the Concerto21 Summer Academy & Mentorship Programme of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. in Hamburg, Germany
- 2000 - 2001: Scholarship of the Erasmus/Socrates programme of the European Union
- 1994: Bayreuth scholarship of the Richard Wagner Foundation
- 1992: Ibach-Prize for Outstanding Pianists

CD Publications

- 2011: "The Story In Mind", a solo album of piano pieces by composer Kai-nan Huang, released by ArchiMusic, Taipei
- 2009: "La Bonne Chanson", an album of French songs and piano solo music, recorded together with mezzo-soprano Barbara Senator, published by Music Chamber, London
- 2004: Solo and duo recordings on two albums of the Waiteata Collection Of New Zealand Music (Volumes VIII & IX)

Formal Education

- 2001 - 2003: Postgraduate student at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, studying with Graham Johnson, Eugene Asti and Robin Bowman (MMus in 2002)
- 1998 - 2004: Private student of Prof Peter Feuchtwanger, London
- 1998 - 2001: Reads musicology and philosophy at Humboldt University, University of Art in Berlin, and Royal Holloway, University of London
- 1996 - 2004: Master classes and private lessons with Sergio Fiorentino, Hartmut Höll, Irwin Gage, Christa Ludwig, Sarah Walker, Thomas Hampson and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
- 1994 - 1998: Studies piano with Prof. Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien (HMTM) in Hanover, Germany (Diploma in 1998)

Imprint

Online since November 2020.Responsible for content © Paul Cibis. All rights reserved.Photos © Irwin Dermer, Neda Navaee, Mathias Bothor, Jim Kroft, Gao Wei, Joseph Chen and Piano Battle.Please contact me for further details:

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