Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider trained in Denmark under Eyvind Sand Kjeldsen, Associate Professor and leader of the Royal Danish Orchestra, and under Professors Milan Vitek and Endre Wolf.
She later studied solo and chamber music in the USA with Alexander and Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet and Isidore Cohen of the Beaux Art Trio.
A period of study with baroque violinist Stanley Ritchie at the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, sparked her interest in HIP (Historically Informed Performance), which has resulted in Elisabeth’s repertoire spanning all eras – with mutual inspiration between the genres.
Teaching
Elisabeth has been employed as an associate professor in violin and chamber music at RDAM since 1997. She has held a wide range of positions, and now teaches:
- Violin, principal study
- Chamber music for strings in all chamber music combinations
- Orchestral studies/parts playing
- String player section rehearsals for orchestral projects
- Has built up a new subject in the strings group: Prima Vista and String ensemble playing/Musicianship
- Supervisor in reflection assignments
Elisabeth’s interest in HIP led her to build up the Early Music Environment at RDAM.
Since the start of the broader pedagogical programme at RDAM, Elisabeth has built up and managed a pedagogical subject for all string players: Principal Study-related Pedagogy. This subject is being continued in a scaled-up form by Ida Ben Hamadou, with whom Elisabeth will now be working on a large artistic research (FOKU) project: ‘Starter kit for the recently graduated strings teacher’.
Artistic practice
Elisabeth made her debut as a soloist from RDAM in 1980. Since then she has been a soloist with all of the Danish regional orchestras, and has had an active soloist career alongside her teaching work.
For a number of years she was assistant leader, firstly with the Royal Danish Orchestra, and then with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DNSO).
Elisabeth was a co-founder of Thy Chamber Music Festival: a festival built on and inspired by the Marlboro Music Festival founded by Alexander Schneider and others. The Thy festival recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and has been an important element in Danish musical life, as well as an international meeting place for young talents from Denmark and abroad. Via the innovative planning of the festival, Elisabeth has gained both extensive knowledge of repertoire and many international contacts.
For 15 years Elisabeth was leader of the Trinitatis Chamber Orchestra, which performed the major orchestral/choral works, in collaboration with Per Enevold and the Trinitatis Kantori Chamber Choir. In addition, she regularly plays in a violin/piano duo with the pianist Ulrich Stærk, and in the baroque trio ‘Trio Corelli’ with the organist Prof. Ulrik Spang-Hanssen and the lute player Viggo Mangor.
Elisabeth has received most of the major Danish music scholarships and prizes, including the travel scholarships of the Carl Nielsen Foundation and the Sonning Foundation.
Artistic development (KUV)
- “Bach fra bunden” (Bach from scratch) - a 3-year research/recording project - from 2021
Pedagogical development (PUV)
- “Startpakke for den nyuddannede strygerlærer” (Starter kit for the recently graduated strings teacher) - In collaboration with Ida Ben-Hamadou - From 2021
- “International MiniFiddlers“ – 2012-2016
Artistic research (FOKU)
- Co-operation with music schools.
- Initator and co-creator of the annual RDAM Saturday School, which has now existed for 20 years.
- Co-operation with and development of the Early Music programme at RDAM.
- A handbook on flageolets in collaboration with Hans Abrahamsen – in manuscript.
- Introduction of the British ABRSM grading system to Denmark.
Elisabeth has toured with recitals in the USA, France, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Iceland.
Another of Elisabeth’s great interests has been the musical “food chain”: the environment that allows young Danes to be able to come to an audition at RDAM, and possibly choose a future in music, or – just as importantly – contribute with enthusiasm to musical life as an amateur and audience member.
Elisabeth has also helped to build up and lead the Junior Academy, RDAM’s talent development course for children and young people, and was also head of the major four-year International Development Project: International MiniFiddlers.
In addition to her moderator activities at RDAM examinations, Elisabeth is a permanent moderator at all examinations of the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Aarhus (Admissions to Soloist, Bachelor and Master’s programmes in all disciplines).
Representative duties, directorships
Member of the board of the Carl Claudius Foundation.
Elisabeth’s great interest in the violin repertoire from baroque to contemporary is reflected in her CD production.
CD releases
Robert Schumann
Complete Violin Sonatas
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider
Classico CLASSCD 351
J.P.E. Hartmann
Complete Works for Violin and Piano
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Bohudmila Jedlickova
Dacapo 8.224021-22
Otto Malling
Klaverkoncert– Klavertrio
Amalie Malling, Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Morten Zeuthen, Danish Chamber Orchestra, Petter Sundkvist
Dacapo 8.224114
J.P.E. Hartmann
The Key Masterpieces
Inger Dam-Jensen, Poul Elming, Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Bohudmila Jedlickova, Nina Gade, Hans Fagius, Tre Musici, Lund University Male Voice Choir, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schønwandt, Thomas Dausgaard
Dacapo 8.226103-04
Koppel, Nørgård, Ruders, Rosing-Schow, Nordentoft
Conversations for Violin and Piano
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Ulrich Stærk
Dacapo 8.226519
Emil Hartmann
Chamber Music
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Nicolas Dupont, Tony Nys, Justus Grimm, Daniel Blumenthal
Dacapo 8.226183
Tor Aulin, Hugo Alfvén, Wilhelm Stenhammar
Aquarelles/Watercolours: Swedish Romantic Violin/Piano Music
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, Ulrich Stærk
Classico CLASSCD 678
Johann Mattheson
Der Brauchbare Virtuoso
Trio Corelli
Classico CLASSCD 496-97
Gade, Hartmann, Langgaard, Henriques, Lange-Müller
Klavertrioer fra den Danske Guldalder
Tre Musici
Dacapo DCCD 9310
G.F. Händel
Complete Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo
Trio Corelli
Hyperion CDH55280
Arcangelo Corelli
12 Violin Sonatas Opus 5
Trio Corelli
Bridge Records 9371A/B
