Facts
Born in Passau, Germany
Member since 24.08.1983
Biography
Wolfgang Talirz was already captivated by the warm, personal sound of the viola when he studying the violin. Three unforgettable impressions then led him to swap over to the lower instrument: a performance of the Telemann Viola Concerto by his school orchestra; a Beethoven cycle by the Juilliard Quartet in his hometown of Passau, in which he was so moved by the special timbre of Samuel Rhodes’s viola; and the radio recordings of Georg Schmid, with his unmistakable tone.
Schmid would later become his teacher during Talirz’s time at the Munich Hochschule. He now participates in three chamber ensembles: the Amarcord Quartet, the Philharmonic String Quintet and the Philharmonic Camerata. Wolfgang Talirz is especially committed to his long-term work on benefit projects, notably aid for Mexican street children and on behalf of children suffering from cancer. In addition to his profession and his family, he has two further passions: playing the piano and the grands crus de Bourgogne, whose promulgation is his noblest duty as a member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin.
Awards
First Prize: Bundeswettbewerb Jugend musiziert (1980)
Ensembles of the Berliner Philharmoniker