The story of Andreas Thiel, German-Canadian pianist , organist, choir director and composer who combines concert appearances with studies for the Anglican priesthood.

Canadian concert pianist Andreas Thiel's first award-winning performance was at the age of seventeen when he won first place in the Edward Johnson Piano Competition in Guelph. This was followed by other awards and appearances throughout Ontario, culminating in his first appearance as soloist with orchestra in Kitchener, Ontario, playing a Mozart Concerto, Chosei Komastsu conducting.

Thiel was born in Wattenscheid, West Germany, on April 9, 1965 and his family emigrated to Canada when he was just one year old. He received his early education in Ontario schools after which he attended the University of Guelph, In Guelph, Ontario. It was here that he began his concert career by appearing in student recitals at the university.

Organ Repertoire

During this time Thiel began to explore the repertoire for the organ and became Director of Music in several Ontario churches. He also began to compose short piano pieces for students and sacred choral works. As music director in churches he presented the Taize-style worship service on Sunday evenings to enthusiastic response. The religious community in Taize, France, was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger and is a non-denominational gathering dedicated to meditative singing and prayer and the value of silence in the service.

Andreas also presented various artists in recital at his church in a series called ' Music for a Sunday Afternoon,' which featured Canadian organist Douglas Haas; recorder virtuoso Matthew Jones; sopranos Heather Jewson and Rosalind Pickett and pianist Darryl Cremasco.

Soloist With Symphony Orchestras

Thiel has appeared as soloist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Kitchener, Ontario, on two occasions...the first being a Mozart Concerto and the second the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #1,with Kerri-Lynn Wilson conducting. He has also been soloist with the North Miami Beach Symphony, Florida; the Kitchener Community Orchestra, the Timmins Symphony, where he played the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto # 2, and the Waterloo Chamber players with performances of concertos by Mozart and Beethoven.

Solo Piano Recitals

Solo recitals include appearances on the prestigious Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, Chicago, Illinois; Aranoff Center, Cincinnati. Ohio; recital debut at the Jane Mallett Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, playing the Canadian premiere of the Partita-Variations by American composer George Rochberg, and many other recitals in Europe and on radio in the United States and Canada. Andreas Thiel is in demand as a teacher and adjudicator and maintains a private studio in his home.

Chamber Music

Chamber music is the first love of Thiel, who is a founding member of the Thames Trio and the Amaryllis Piano Quartet. "Listening is so important in playing chamber music," he says. "Cues are often given by the raising of an eyebrow or the inhalation of breath. Often the decisions agreed upon in rehearsal are re-negotiated in the the moment of a performance. Rather than being a liability, this spontaneity is what brings freshness and joy to the experience of making music.Participation as a chamber musician teaches one to watch and listen for what is happening in the music, but often more importantly, in between or underneath the music...the subtext."

Theology

Thiel has recently had a call that he can no longer ignore and is in the Master of Divinity program at Huron College University in London, Ontario. His intention, after ordination, is to bring to his new positon the experience of his life-long passion for the musical arts and his background in ' finding the subtext.'

For further information about pianists see:

Harpsichordist Wanda Landowska,

Pianist Rudolf Firkusny.

Composer-Pianist Mana-Zucca

Source

Exclusive interview with Andreas Thiel, February, 2008.