Olga Watts
As a celebrated basso continuo specialist, Olga Watts elegantly takes us into the world of early music. On the harpsichord, the native Muscovite causes a sensation as a soloist and chamber musician as far afield as Australia. She has received many awards for her virtuoso encounter with original sound and passes on her musical acumen to the next generation at the Mozarteum.
About the artist
Grandiose expert for early music
Career
Born in Moscow, Olga Watts completed her piano and musicology studies at the age of 19 at the music school of the conservatory in her hometown and later studied harpsichord, fortepiano and basso continuo with Lars Ulrik Mortensen at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. In 1998 she graduated with distinction in 2003 she received the master class diploma. Master classes with Menno van Delft and Bob van Asperen and collaboration with Reinhard Goebel, Franz Brüggen, Fabio Biondi, John Eliot Gardiner, Thomas Hengelbrock, Konrad Junghänel, Giovanni Antonini, Alessandro de Marchi, Paul McCreesh, Howard Arman, Andreas Scholl, Maurice Steger, Dorothee Oberlinger, Hille Perl, Vittorio Ghielmi and Albrecht Mayer gave her other important suggestions.
Awards
In 1997 she was awarded the first prize as a young artist in the field of historical performance practice in Bavaria; at the competitions for historical instruments "Premio Bonporti" in Rovereto, Italy, and the Johann-Heinrich-Schmelzer-Competition in Melk Abbey, Austria, she received two second prizes with her ensemble Lyriarte.
On Stage
Since then she has given concerts as a celebrated soloist and chamber musician in all European countries, in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and South Korea. She has appeared as a soloist and chamber music partner at the Rheingau Music Festival, Ludwigsburg Castle Festival, Styriarte, Innsbruck Festival of Early Music , Resonances Vienna, MA Festival Bruges, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, Days of Early Music Regensburg, Edinburgh International Festival, Lucerne Festival, Dresden Music Festival, Ansbacher Bachwochen, Festivals Herrenchiemsee and Bad Arolsen, Berlin Early Music Days, Early Music Days in Herne, Bach Weeks in Thuringia, International Organ Week in Nuremberg, Festival Central Europe, Beijing Music Festival and Hong Kong Art Festival.
Olga Watts is a sought-after specialist in the field of thoroughbass. As a harpsichord accompanist, she performed at the International Bach Competition in Leipzig and several times at the ARD Competition in Munich. She has demonstrated her skills in several CD productions and radio recordings. For twelve years, she was an adjunct professor of accompaniment for historical performance practice at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, and since 2010 she has been working as the harpsichord correpetitor at the Mozarteum University.
