Daniel Hope – “one of the most charismatic violinists in the world” (Classic FM) – has been named as the next President of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association. Chosen by election at the organization’s annual general meeting earlier this week, the British violinist will succeed current incumbent Tabea Zimmermann in 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Hope also serves as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Dresden Frauenkirche, and Music Director of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra, which he is currently leading on its inaugural European tour.
Hope comments:
“It is a great pleasure for me to accept the result of this vote. For me, Beethoven is the equivalent of Mount Everest in music history. To have the opportunity to work closely with the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, an institution not only rich in tradition but also at the very heart of Beethoven research, and which is linked so closely to my idol Joseph Joachim, is an honor.”
Malte Boecker, Director of the Beethoven-Haus, looks forward to working with Hope to shape the institution’s future. He explains: “Daniel Hope is globally appreciated for his musical achievements and for raising the public’s awareness of music. With him as President, we will continue to share our message, establish global networks, and explore new target audiences.”
To preserve Beethoven’s life, work, and heritage, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association was founded in 1889, with legendary Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim as its honorary president. Today, the association represents the world’s leading Beethoven center. Built around the composer’s birthplace, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn houses a museum containing the world’s most important Beethoven collection, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year, as well as a scientific research department dedicated to music, complete with its own library and publishing house, and the Hermann J. Abs chamber hall. Thanks to the engagement and support of the German government, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Rhineland Regional Council, the city of Bonn, and 900 friends, patrons, and members from more than 20 countries, the association undertakes multiple cultural initiatives of national and international importance. In 2016 the non-profit institution Beethoven Jubiläums Gesellschaft was founded under the umbrella of the Beethoven-Haus Foundation to coordinate and promote Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020.
Hope’s predecessor, renowned violist, chamber musician, and teacher Tabea Zimmermann, assumed office from conductor Kurt Masur in 2013. When she steps down, she and Spanish music dramaturge Luis Gago, with whom she established the annual “BTHVN WEEK” chamber festival, will serve as honorary members of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Association.