An intensive quest and constant search for new and unconventional ways to express music
determines the artistic vita of Andreas Woyke.
His instructors have influenced him in many different ways: Pál Molnar taught him the essentials and encouraged playing from memory; Aldo Atognazzi worked intensively on improving his sound; and with Pavel Gililov he acquired his love of detail and the ability to tell stories with his music. The ostensibly intuitive aspect of Gililov’s instruction was eventually complemented by the analytical approach of his final teacher, Rudolf Kehrer. Through these influences and his own urge to explore, Andreas Woyke developed his very own personal style. In concert reviews, the press emphasizes his extraordinary art of interpretation that never runs the risk of being suffocated by technical superficialities.
While he won many competitions, such as the Hamburg Brahms competition, the Vienna Competition for Music of the 20th Century and was runner-up at the UNISA-Transnet-Competition in South Africa, Andreas Woyke considers them pleasant seasoning rather than the main course milestones of his artistic career, which is lined with concert performances on almost every continent. Rather than sporting “classic hits”, his repertoire consists of distinctly unique and rarely performed works. For instance, he performed and recorded Bartok’s piano concertos No. 1 and 2, as well as Samuel Barber’s piano concerto, for Germany’s Southwest Public Broadcasting Agency with the widely acclaimed conductor Kazushi Ono.
Andreas Woyke performed already at important concert places of the world, i.e.:
Musikverein und Konzerthaus Wien, Philharmonie im Gasteig München, Philharmonie Köln, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Beethovenhaus Bonn, Radiohuset Stockholm, Tschaikowsky-Konservatorium Moskau, Kennedy Center Washington D.C., South Africa State Theatre Pretoria, Teatro Municipal Viña del Mar, Oriental Arts Centre Shanghai (Location in Simon Rattle's "Trip To Asia"). His collaboration with famous artists as mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig, the actors Julia Stemberger and Wolfram Berger or author Michael Krüger had a significant impact on his artistic personality as well as his work with conductors like Kazushi Ono (Staatskapelle Karlsruhe and Zagreb Philharmonic), Heribert Beissel (Klassische Philharmonie Bonn), Gerard Korsten (Transvaal Symphony), Rolf Agop, Volker Wangenheim and many others.
Andreas Woyke crosses borders. Improvisation is a very meaningful part of his life. On his Solo-CD „Braiding Bach (Ars, 2008) he combined piano works by Johann Sebastian Bach with his own compositions. In these strongly jazz-inspired sound images the improvising element shows as important effect as in the baroque embellishing of Bach's sarabandes.
Both free and conceptual improvisation such as “Acconci-Island”, inspired by the Mur Island in Graz, and his fusion jazz band “D’yamba”, founded in 2003, underline the profound significance improvisation has in his life. Woyke is open minded for any styles like rock, jazz-rock, funk, soul, ethno or house as well as the classical epoques and ancient music.
In his classical recital programs he strives for improvisatory momentum as well, as he improvises or composes the cadenzas in classical piano concertos himself. His own examination of Mozart’s in part sketchily composed Coronation Concerto, for instance, has led to a completely unique arrangement of the work, which differs strongly from the well-known and widely played version of Mozart’s contemporary André. Equally, embellishments in the works of Bach, Handel, or Scarlatti create intriguing challenges to Woyke, the improvising artist.
Chamber music and accompaignment of singers is a fixed part in Woyke's activities as well. Since the spring of 2003 he has been collaborating very successfully with the vibrant cellist Friedrich Kleinhapl. The duo is performing all over the world and a number of CD-recordings have been published with Ars-Produktion. For their recording of the sonatas by Dimitri Schostakowitsch they have been rewarded with the Pasticcio-Preis of the ORF, Vienna, the CD with the sonatas by Rachmaninov and Franck recieved the Supersonic Award and their recent recording of the first three Beethoven-sonatas has been honored with the renowned Excellentia Award.
Andreas Woyke currently works as a freelance concert pianist living in Graz and teaches piano and chamber music at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst (university for music and the performing arts) there. He is a regular guest teacher at the “Musik zentral” music festival in the Steiermark region of Austria, where, as well as giving conventional master classes, he manages an improvisation course specialising in jazz improvisation.