RAINER KÜCHL

 

• Former First Concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra

• Professor Emeritus of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

• Leader of the Küchl-Quartet and the Vienna Ring Ensemble

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Rainer Küchl was born on August 25th, 1950 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Lower Austria. At the age of eleven he received his first violin lesson. From 1964 to 1970 he studied with Prof. Franz Samohyl at the Vienna Music Academy[1].

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In 1971 he was engaged as Concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. In 1972 he was also appointed Concertmaster of the Imperial Court Chapel at the Hofburg in Vienna.

 

In 1973 he founded the Küchl-Quartet, also known as the Wiener Musikverein Quartett abroad. From 1976 to 2021 the quartet had its own chamber music cycle at the Brahmssaal of the Wiener Musikverein. In 1982 Rainer Küchl was appointed professor and leader of a violin class at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien. Furthermore he became a guest professor in Japan. As a soloist he performed numerous concerts in Austria as well as abroad, working with renowned orchestras and conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Karl Böhm, Leonard Bernstein, Herbert Blomstedt, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti and Christian Thielemann.

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Since 1985 Rainer Küchl has been the leader of the Wiener Ringensemble, which emphasizes its repertoire on the Vienna Philharmonic tradition of performing waltz music. For several years he had been invited to the Pacific Music Festival as part of PMF Europe as well as the PMF Academy, both performing and teaching. At the 50th anniversary of the UNO in 1995 he was invited as concertmaster of the "World Peace Orchestra" under the baton of Sir Georg Solti. Moreover he was invited as concertmaster at the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano 1998 under the baton of Seiji Ozawa.

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After forty-five years as Concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Orchestra, he retired in 2016.

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From 2017 to 2023 he was invited as guest concertmaster of the NHK-Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Since then he has been active as soloist and guest concertmaster in Austria as well as abroad. He continues giving masterclasses for violin as well as for chamber music.

 

Awards and Prizes:

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1973: Mozart-Interpretation Prize for soloistic achievements. Austria

1978: Mozart-Medal of the Mozart Society of Vienna (for the Küchl-
           Quartet). Austria

1985: Golden Decoration of Merit of the Federal State of Salzburg. Austria      

1988: Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art.

1994: Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria

2010: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. Japan

2020: Arima-Prize from the NHK-Symphony Orchestra Tokyo. Japan

2022: Goldener Johann Strauss. Johann Strauss-Society. Austria

2025: Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Federal State
           of Lower Austria

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Other Honours:

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1992: He was invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles and Princess
           Diana to perform for Sir Georg Solti's eightieth birthday.

1999: Honorary Member of the Johann Strauss-Society. Austria

2001: Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera. Austria

2010: Appointment as "Botschafter der freundschaftlichen Beziehungen" der
           japanischen Stadt Kawasaki. Japan

2017: Honorary Member of the Wiener Hofmusikkapelle. Austria

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[1] Renamed to University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna