Elisabeth Eschwé
piano

comes from a long line of musicians dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including piano builders from Vienna plus pianists and violinists from Hungary. Together with her brother, Alfred, she began piano lessons with her grandmother at age five and soon transferred to a Viennese music academy. In the following years a wealth of talents became apparent as she also began to dance, write poetry, learn foreign languages and act.

Two of her hobbies became her professions. In her student years at the Vienna Conservatory of Music, Ms. Eschwé was priviledged to study piano with Margareta Heeger, a former student of Franz Schmidt's. In addition, she received Masters Degrees in English and Philosophy from the University of Vienna. Her love of drama made her later study acting with Professor Lola Braxton.

After completing her studies, Elisabeth Eschwé embarked on a multifascited career as a pianist, piano teacher, translator, editor and mother of two children. In 1990 she performed her first "literary concert" as part of a piano duo in Washington D.C., in which she interspersed piano pieces with her own readings of literature from the same period. In this manner, she toured throughout Europe and the USA with her duo partner periodically for seven years.

She merged her literary ambitions and diversified talents into creating and performing dramatically formatted recital presentations. In her first solo scenic recital "An Evening with Clara Schumann" she presents her as a piano virtuosa, composer, mother, wife, lover, manager. Premièred in Vienna, she has toured Europe and the USA since 1999.

These solo recitals did not diminish her love for traditional compositions for piano 4-hands which was rooted in her childhood. Together with her brother, the internationally acclaimed conductor, Alfred Eschwé, she formed the Vienna Piano-Duo (Wiener Klavierduo) that has appeared in concerts across Europe since 1997.

Elisabeth Eschwé has revolutionized piano pedagogy by bringing the acting methods of the famous Konstantin Stanislawski into the classroom and integrating certain of his techniques into her teaching. She has published several articles on these teaching methods. In addition to her duties as the director of a Viennese music school, she finds time to offer piano master classes in the USA, Korea and Europe, give lectures on her teaching methods at various American and European universities and serves as a juror for many music competitions, e.g. the Enescu Competition in Bukarest, Rumania.

Ms. Eschwé is a much sought after piano soloist and her concert appearances have led her from the Vienna Konzerthaus to Carnegie Hall in New York. All of her solo programs and some piano 4-hands concerts are available on CD.

 

2008 "Homeland on the Move"
Literary Concert - Music of the Roma and its influence on classical music, e.g. Brahms and de Falla, reflected by texts on tolerance and spiritual freedom.
Allegro Vivo Musical Festival, Vienna

2008 "Music outspoken"
Literary Concert
Music by Leo Weiner, Franz Schubert, Clara and Robert Schumann, Ludvig v. Beethoven, Johannes Brahms
Texts by Elisabeth Eschwé
Presentation of postcards drawn by Elisabeth Eschwé
Première Vienna

since 2006 "Music of a Love"
Scenic recital on Robert Schumanns's love relationship to Clara Wieck, reflected in his compositions between 1832 and 1840, and texts and letters by Clara Wieck.
première Poetzleinsdorf Castle, Vienna
performances in Austria and Germany

since 2003 "Femmes Classiques"
A musical satirical show, in which a pianist and a singer break the rules of a traditional recital
together with the soprano Ulrike Sych, directed by Sepp Tatzel
Première Wr. Kammeroper, Nov. 2003, performances in Austria and Germany

2003 "My Love Story – must be a Waltz"
A nostalgic – romantic show on Vienna of 1900 – inspired and reflected by the literary tradition of the Viennese Coffee House
together with the soprano Elisabeth Linhart

2002/03 “Forgotten Vienna”
Musical-literary program on Vienna of the time between the Two World Wars. Original, partly unrecorded music for violoncello and piano between 1900 and 1945
together with the cellist Orfeo Mandozzi
Première Schönberg Center Vienna

Since 2001 “Faschingsschwank – the Austrian mind in piano music”
Music from Mozart to Schubert and Schumann

Since 1999 “An Evening with Clara Schumann”
Scenic recital on Clara Schumann, presenting her piano oevre and telling her dramatic life story
Première Palais Lobkowitz, Vienna
Performances in Austria (Salzburg, Linz, St. Pölten, Vienna a.o.)
Europe (Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, the Netherlands)
USA (Sacramento, Chacago, Boston, Williamsburg)

Since 1997 Piano Duo with her brother Alfred Eschwé, intern. conductor
Concerts in Austria and Germany

1990 – 1997 Piano Duo with Thomas Kreuzberger (Prof. of Piano at the Vienna Music University)
“Schubert and His Time”, “Dancing through Europe”
Concert tours through Europe and USA, radio and tv productions, CDs