Babette Haag

She is called „Wizard of the music world” and the newspapers (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung) talk of her electrifying enthusiasm combined with brilliant virtuosity.
Babette Haag is a percussionist who produces a gigantic spectrum from whispered notes to hammering drum-tempests with an impressive mixture of sensibility and temperament.
She studied classic percussion and timpani at the Music Academy in Freiburg/Br. and was solo timpanist of the Philharmonia of the Nations (Justus Frantz) from 1990 to 1996. In 1991 she took part in the competition of the „Deutsche Musikrat” and was awarded a scholarship for the 36th National Selection „Concerts of young people” in 1992/1993. Her interpretations - defined by a high musicality and an admirable sense of rhythm - took her throughout Europe, Australia and Asia. In addition her artistic activity includes chambermusic (e.g. with the brothers Paratore and the Duo „Arparimba”- music for harp and marimba) as well as solo concerts with orchestra.
In 2002 she founded together with Gudrun Haag and Hardy Wenzel the most unusual trio: marimba, viola and harp - the Trio TriColore
More information at: www.triotricolore.de

She played as a marimba soloist with the Bavarian Broadcast Orchestra, the 'Musuemorchestra of Frankfurt', the 'Staatstheater Oldenburg', the Chamberorchestra of Wuerttemberg, the 'Musikcollegeium Schaffhausen (Switzerland), the Chamberphilharmonia of Poland, the Philharmonia Thueringen and the orchestra of Plauen/Zwickau.

Her first Solo - CD "Magic Drums" was released in the beginning of 1998 - followed by the Duo-CD "Arparimba - Music for harp and marimba" in the summer of 1999, the second Solo - CD "Magic Marimba" in June 2001.

See more at: www.magic-drums.com

Gudrun Haag

The harpist Gudrun Haag began her musical education in her hometown of Würzburg with Therese Reichling and later went to Paris to study with Micheline Kahn-Damase. She received the "Licence de Concert" from Lily Laskin, who has guided generations of harpists, and Alfred Cortot.
Later, she further widened her repetoire of harp music through her work with Nicanor Zabaleta, who inspired many contemporary composers to write for solo-harp. Through this colaboration, she learned quite a bit about composition forms of the 20th century, but also about the musical traditions of the 16th and 17th century.
Since 1974 she has taught at Munich’s "Richard-Strauss-Conservatory".
Besides playing on recordings for a number of European radio orchestras and various CD projects (including compositions by H. Genzmer, I. Strawinsky and U. Zimmermann), she regulary plays in the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian State Opera and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra with conductors such as W. Sawallisch, L. Maazel, S. Celibidache, Z. Mehta and Sir Colin Davis. Her notable CD work includes a collection of Lieder by Othmar Schoeck with the Tenor Kurt Streit, a collection of poems and music entitled "There's a song in every thing" with Gert Westphal as reciter and Ludwig Thoma's "The holy night" with Hans Baur as reciter.

She regulary gives solo concerts and specializes in playing in various duo settings. Most notable of these is the "Duo Arparimba" - A mother - daughter duo in which she adapts a variety of music for harp and marimba. This duo's CD, "Arparimba", came out in Summer 1999.
She founded a Trio in 2002 together with Babette Haag and Hardy Wenzel (Viola) -the most unusual combination of marimba, viola and harp! Read more at: www.triotricolore.de

She has received many prizes and awards, such as the "Musik-Förderpreis" of the Bavarian State (in 1980), the "Art Prize" of Munich/Schwabing (1985) an the "G.-Klinge -Culture Prize" in 1988.

She was awarded with the 'Federal Cross of Merit' in 2001

See also her website: www.gudrunhaag.de