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String Soloists

Christian Benda

Christian Benda
Cellist

Conductor and cellist Christian Benda is a descendant of the dynasty of the Czech Benda composers from the 18th century and a member of the oldest family of musicians known in music history. The musical tradition of his family has been maintained without interruption for three centuries. Mr. Benda has performed throughout the world as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber musician and conductor, and has earned critical acclaim throughout his career. He has made numerous recordings with leading orchestras and renowned soloists.

Well-known for his passionate devotion to vocal repertoire, Christian Benda conducts Renee Fleming, Simon Estes, Cheryl Studer and Barbara Hendricks with whom he has given over fifteen concerts in Budapest (Hungarian Symphony), Warshaw (Polish National Opera Orchestra), Prague (Verdi Requiem with the Czech Philharmonic Choir), Vienna (Mozart commemoration), Rio de Janeiro (Municipal Theatre Symphony), and HongKong (Shanghai Radio Symphony).

Mr. Benda has been invited to conduct the commemoration concerts for President Vaclav Havel with Renée Fleming and the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Benda has also collaborated with such instrumentalists as Lazar Berman, Michel Béroff, Michaïl Rudy, Till Fellner, François-René Duchâble, Cristina Ortiz, Miguel Angel Estrella, Vladimir Spivakov, Silvia Marcovici, Pierre Amoyal, Patrice Fontanarosa, Bruno Giuranna, Paul Tortelier and Boris Pergamenschikow.

Mr. Benda has appeared at international festivals including Schwetzingen (Germany), Klangbogen der Stadt Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt's Styriate and Steirischer Herbst (Austria), Echternach (Luxemburg), Cite de la Musique Paris and La Roque d'Antheron (France), Prague Spring (Czech Republic), Wratislavia Cantans (Poland), Zagreb, Campos do Jordao (Brazil) and Hong Kong Arts, among others. His repertoire includes chamber music, operatic and symphonic works. Mr. Benda has appeared as conductor and as soloist in concerts of Dvorak's or Schumann's cello concertos, conducting also symphonic works such as Dvorak's New World Symphony or Ravel's Bolero. Christian Benda plays a violoncello signed by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and a violoncello signed by Giovanni Baptista Guadagnini.

From Bach to the music of the 20th century, Christian Benda's numerous CDs include the complete works for piano and symphony orchestra by Frank Martin with Paul Badura-Skoda (Bestenliste der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), Haydn¹s violin concertos with Jean-Jacques Kantorow, J.S.Bach's Musical Offering, the Hamburg Symphonies by C.P.E. Bach and symphonic works by Malipiero and Casella. He has made recordings of his ancestors' works, notably Jiri Antonin Benda's symphonies and melodramas with the Prague Chamber Orchestra - together with two volumes of violin concertos by Frantisek and Jan Jiri with Josef Suk as soloist. As a cellist, he has recorded a number of complete works such as Schumann, Beethoven, Brahms, Boccherini, Stamitz, and Martinu. Mr. Benda's video, radio and television recordings include productions for the BBC England with the Ulster Orchestra, Radio Luxemburg, Radio France, the ORF (Austria), Hessischer Rundfunk, SWF Baden-Baden and the SWR (Germany), Télévision Suisse Romande with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Radio Svizzera Italiana with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, SF DRS Swiss Television (documentary film: The Benda Family Nowadays), Czech Television with the Janacek Philharmony, Radio Slovenija with the Slovenian Philharmony, the Polish TV, the Duna Television Budapest and the TV Cultura (Brazil).

For bookings in the U.S. and Canada, please contact aimartists@aol.com. For all other countries, please contact secretariat.de.concerts@bluewin.ch.

www.christianbenda.com

Television and Radio Recordings

  • Czech Television, Prague, Mozart Opera Arias, B. Hendricks soprano, C. Benda conductor, Prague Chamber Orchestra.
  • Czech Television, Ostrava, Haydn Creation, Mozart Concert Arias, S. Estes bass, C. Benda conductor, Janacek Philharmony.
  • Czech Television, The Benda Family nowadays, a documentary film
  • Radio Slovenija, Bloch Shelomo, C. Benda cello, M. Horvat conductor, Slovenian Philharmony.
  • ART Television, Belgrade, J.S. Bach, C. Benda cello solo.
  • POLSAT Television, Warsaw, Ravel Bolero, French & Italian Opera Arias, B. Hendricks soprano, C. Benda conductor, Polish National Opera Orchestra.
  • Polish TV, Wroclaw, Mozart Opera Arias & Jupiter Symphony, B. Hendricks soprano, C. Benda conductor, Virtuosi di Praga.
  • BBC, Belfast, Tortelier Double Concerto,Y. P. Tortelier violin, M. Tortelier cello, C. Benda conductor, Ulster Orchestra.
  • Radio Luxemburg, Mozart Opera Arias, B. Hendricks soprano, C. Benda conductor, Capella Istopolitana.
  • Radio France, Haydn C Major Cello Concerto, Stamitz Sinfonia Concertante for violin and cello, J. Suk violin and conductor, C. Benda cello, Suk Chamber Orchestra.
  • Radio France, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, M. Rudy piano, V. Kafelnikov trumpet, C. Benda conductor, Orchestre d¹Auvergne.
  • ORF, Austria, Mozart, Concerto for Two Pianos, C. Ortiz piano, S. Benda piano, C. Benda conductor, Slovak Sinfonietta.
  • ORF, Austria, Debussy, Fauré, Schumann, C. Benda cello, S. Benda piano.
  • ORF, Austria, Rossi, C. Benda cello solo.
  • ORF, Austria, Beethoven, Dvorak, Klein, Krasa, Schubert, J. Suk violin, B. Giuranna viola, C. Benda cello, J. Hala piano.
  • Hessischer Rundfunk, Germany, F. Benda, C. Benda cello, S. Benda harpsichord.
  • SWR Baden-Baden, Germany, J.A. Benda, Beethoven, Hindemith, Suk, C. Benda cello, The Benda Musicians.
  • Radio Suisse Romande, Lalo Cello Concerto, C. Benda cello, J.-F. Monot conductor, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
  • Radio Suisse Romande, J.A. Benda, I.J. Benda, Dvorak Rondo for Cello, Haydn C Major Cello Concerto, Suk, C. Benda cello and conductor, Suk Chamber Orchestra.
  • Radio Suisse Romande, J.A. Benda, Ariane à Naxos, Dvorak, Martinu Viola Rhapsodie-Concerto, J. Suk viola, C. Benda conductor, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.
  • Radio Suisse Romande, Beethoven¹s Triple Concerto, P. Amoyal violin, C. Benda cello, F.-R. Duchâble piano, M. Viotti conductor, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.
  • Télévision Suisse Romande, Debussy, C. Benda cello, R. Castro piano.
  • Radio Svizzera Italiana, Boccherini Cello Concerto, Stamitz Sinfonia Concertante for violin & cello, J. Suk violin & conductor, C. Benda cello, Suk Chamber Orchestra.
  • Radio Svizzera Italiana, J.A. Benda, Arianna a Nasso, C. Benda conductor, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.
  • TV Cultura, Brazil, J.S. Bach, C. Benda cello solo.

CD Recordings

  • Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel/Hamburg Sinfoniae/Capella Istropolitana/Naxos
  • Bach Johann Sebastian/Musical Offering/Capella Istropolitana/Naxos
  • Benda Jiri Antonin/Medea, Ariadne, Pygmalion/Prague Chamber Orchestra/Naxos
  • Benda Jiri Antonin/12 Sinfoniae/Prague Chamber Orchestra/Naxos
  • Benda Composers/Violin & Viola concerti/Suk Chamber Orchestra/Josef Suk/Naxos
  • Benda Composers/Konzerte u. Kammermusik/The Benda Musicians/FSM
  • Benda, Composers/Konzerte u. Kammermusik/The Benda Musicians/Pantheon
  • Boccherini Luigi/Sonatas for Cello & Continuo/Christian & Sebastian Benda/Naxos
  • Brahms Johannes/Piano quintet, Clarinet quintet/The Benda Musicians/Price-Less
  • Brahms Johannes/Klarinettentrio & Klarinettenquintett/The Benda Musicians/FSM
  • Brahms Johannes & Schumann Robert/Klavierquintette/The Benda Musicians/FSM
  • Busoni-Debussy-Nielsen-Rossini/Fireworks for Clarinet/Slovak Philharmony/FSM
  • Casella Alfredo/Orchestral Works/Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Naxos
  • Haydn Josef/Violin Concerti/Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra/J.J. Kantorow/Cascavelle
  • Malipiero Gian Francesco/Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Marco Polo
  • Martin Frank/Complete works for piano & orchestra/Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Paul Badura-Skoda & Sebastian Benda/ASV
  • Martinu Boshulav Complete works for cello & piano/Christian & Sebastian Benda/Naxos
  • Schumann Robert/Complete works for cello/Prague Chamber Orchestra & S. Benda/FSM
  • Schumann Robert/Chamber Music/The Benda Musicians/Price-Less
  • Schumann Robert/Kammermusik/The Benda Musicians/FSM
  • Stamitz Carl/Cello Concerti/Prague Chamber Orchestra/Naxos