Biography
Munich-born violinist Viviane Hagner has garnered exceptional praise for her insightful musicality and passionate artistry. Making her international debut at the age of 12, she participated in the legendary joint concert of the Israel and Berlin Philharmonics, conducted by Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, a year later. Since then, Hagner has developed a depth and maturity in her playing that resonates in her stage presence and assurance.
Appearing with the world’s great orchestras, Hagner’s concerto appearances include the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus, New York Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, working with conductors such as Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Eschenbach and Salonen as well as a Carnegie Hall appearance with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
This season, Viviane Hagner joins the Taiwan Philharmonic, performing Britten’s Violin Concerto under Wen-Pin Chien. She also returns to the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra with Walton’s Violin Concerto, works with Jonathan Stockhammer for Korngold’s Violin Concerto in Rostock, returns to the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra playing the Büttner concerto, and performs with the Stuttgart Philharmonic under Alexander Liebreich. In chamber music, she continues her acclaimed partnership with pianist Till Fellner and cellist Adrian Brendel, with trio performances in Germany and the UK.
Last season, Hagner continued her partnership with pianist Till Fellner, with performances at the Schubertiade Festival, Deutschlandsberg, and Nymphenburger Sommer. She also joined the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra to perform Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto. As Artist in Residence with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, she performed violin concertos by Tansman and Brahms, and joined Pietari Inkinen and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie for Korngold’s Violin Concerto. With her trio – pianist Till Fellner and cellist Adrian Brendel – she performed at the Kronberg Festival and Schubertiade Hohenems, showcasing their exceptional collaboration. A highlight of the season was her appearance at the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin, where she premiered a newly discovered sonata by Aribert Reimann.
Highlights from previous seasons include Hagner’s residency with the Orchestre National de Bretagne, where she performed the Walton and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos and directed a programme of Bach and Mendelssohn, as well as a series of play-directed concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra featuring Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 10 and Violin Concerto in E minor. She also continued her project performing Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht with mime artists Bodecker & Neander in Bremen, and appeared with Berlin’s Komische Oper Orchestra under Ainars Rubikis, Prague’s National Opera Orchestra under Karl-Heinz Steffens, and the Orquestra de Valencia with Alexander Liebreich. In North America, she returned to the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa for Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante alongside Pinchas Zukerman, performed with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas, and undertook a residency in Vancouver performing Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Otto Tausk, in addition to chamber music and masterclasses.
In addition to bringing insight and virtuosity to the central concerto repertoire, Hagner is a passionate advocate for new, neglected, and undiscovered music, championing composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, and Witold Lutosławski. As the dedicatee of Unsuk Chin’s first Violin Concerto, she premiered the piece in 2002 with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester under Kent Nagano and has since performed it worldwide.
A committed chamber musician, Hagner regularly appears in prestigious venues such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, London’s Wigmore Hall, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, and Zurich Tonhalle. She also performs at renowned festivals worldwide, including the Ravello Festival, Salzburg Easter Festival, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival.
Hagner’s most recent album was released in March 2026 on the Accentus label, featuring works by Aleksander Tansman and Max Bruch with Lukasz Borowicz and the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra. She joined the BBC Philharmonic, conductor Christian Karlsen, and guitarist Jacob Kellermann to record Tōru Takemitsu’s Spectral Canticle, which was released on BIS in May 2023. Additionally, the Hyperion label issued her performances of Vieuxtemps Violin Concertos Nos. 4 and 5, and the Canadian company Analekta released her recording of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Her performance of Christian Jost’s TiefenRausch with the Essen Philharmonic, conducted by the composer, was released by the Capriccio label to critical acclaim, and she recorded Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor with the Dogma Chamber Orchestra for the MDG label.
Hagner is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Krzyżowa-Music, an ambitious festival promoting the exchange of ideas and culture, and providing young and aspiring musicians the opportunity to rehearse and perform with internationally acclaimed artists. In summer 2024, the festival celebrated its tenth edition. She was recently awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz) for her contribution to cultural exchange between Germany and Poland, predominantly through her work with the festival and her performances in both countries.
Residing in Berlin where she grew up, she has been Professor of Violin at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts since 2013.
Projects
Krzyżowa-Music
As Founder and Artistic Director of Krzyżowa-Music, Viviane Hagner has created an international chamber music festival and mentoring programme that brings together distinguished artists and exceptional young musicians from around the world. Inspired by the collaborative spirit of Marlboro Music, the project fosters artistic exchange, cultural dialogue and intensive chamber music-making in a unique historical setting.
Verklärte Nacht
In collaboration with acclaimed mime artists Bodecker & Neander, Viviane Hagner presents an innovative staging of Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, combining live chamber music with visual theatre. The project offers audiences a fresh perspective on this iconic work, creating an immersive dialogue between music, movement and storytelling.
Further information about Bodecker & Neander ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Championing New Music
A passionate advocate for contemporary and under-represented repertoire, Viviane Hagner has worked closely with leading composers throughout her career. She gave the world premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto, written especially for her, and the Asian premiere of Anders Hillborg’s Second Violin Concerto. Alongside performances of works by Berg, Takemitsu, Gubaidulina, Hartmann, Lutosławski and others, she continues to champion music that expands and enriches the violin repertoire.
Watch a video: Unsuk Chin talks about writing for Viviane Hagner (opens in a new tab)
News
Media






Press
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Scottish Chamber OrchestraExpressive lyricism was very much the focus of Viviane Hagner's interpretation… Her phrasing… drew the listener into the romantic narrative.
Edinburgh Music Review
Balanced and supremely secure playing
The Times
A technical and artistic performance of almost frightening mastery.
The Washington Post
To hear Viviane Hagner play the violin is an enchanting experience… she is a thoughtful yet brilliant violinist.
Berliner Morgenpost
Discography






Contact
Management
Imogen Morris
Founder & Director, Morris Artists
imogen@morris-artists.com
+44 (0) 7810 800016
