# Ralf Gothóni

Ralf Georg Nils Gothóni (born 2 May 1946, Rauma) is a Finnish-German pianist and conductor. He is also active as a chamber musician, professor, composer, and author. Born in Rauma, Finland he made his orchestra debut at age 15. Besides his worldwide concert career he has made some 100 recordings with major labels. He often performs in a double role conducting from the keyboard.
Ralf Gothóni studied the piano from the age of five, first with Tapani Valsta at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki and later with Ervin László in Fribourgh, Switzerland and Max Martin Stein in Düsseldorf.
His recital debut Gothóni made in 1967 as the "Debutant of the year" at the Jyväskylä Summerfestival. Thereafter he performed as recitalist, orchestra soloist and chamber musician mostly in his home country until leaving Finland in 1977 after organizing his first project and landmark of his career; The Schubertiade in Helsinki: forty Finnish singers performed circa 450 lieder by Franz Schubert. Gothóni played all of them and soon, after moving to Berlin, he became famous as Lieder pianist appearing as partner with such singers as Jorma Hynninen, Martti Talvela, Arleen Augér, Edith Mathis, Anne Sofie von Otter, Ileana Cotrubas, Peter Schreier, and Barbara Hendricks.
In Berlin Gothóni played many concerts as soloist and chamber musician in early 80ties and he came together with the most important classical music agent who wanted have him on his roster. The discussions were not fruitful: The Agent asked Gothóni to make decision about his character – to be everything - soloist, chamber musician and Lieder pianist was an illusion. Gothóni moved to Munich and from there to Hamburg where he stayed 18 years. He appeared as versatile pianist in recitals, orchestra concerts, at chamber music festivals and tours with instrumentalists and singers until the mid 1990s. After been chosen for the American Gilmore Artist Award in 1994 he concentrated on solo and chamber concerts and started with conducting.
Gothóni was the artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival from 1984 to 1987. He created the Forbidden City Music Festival in Beijing in 1996 and the "Musical Bridge Egypt–Finland" in 2007. He was professor of chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin 1996–2000, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki 1992–2007, the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg 1986–1996 and 2006–2012 at the Instituto International da Camara, Reina Sofia, Madrid. Gothóni has made a significant contribution to the education of young musicians through Savonlinna Music Academy where he has served as artistic director. He was principal conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra from 2000 to 2009. From 2004 to 2014 Gothóni was the guest conductor of the Deutsche Kammerakademie. He has been invited to many important competition juries such as Queen Elizabeth Competition, London International Piano Competition, The Busoni Competition, Clara Haskil International Piano Competition and Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition.
In the United States, Gothóni was music director of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra (Seattle) from 2002 until 2006. His initial appearance with the orchestra in 2001 was highly acclaimed and led to his appointment in Seattle. In 2006 he resigned in the context of financial pressures on the orchestra. The orchestra was later dissolved.
Gothóni's awards include the Finnish Pro Finlandia in 1990 and the Gilmore Artist Award in 1994. In 2012 he received the Queen Sofía College of Music award from Her Majesty Queen of Spain. He has recorded for various labels, including BIS, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Cpo and Ondine, such works as Benjamin Britten's Piano Concerto, Heitor Villa-Lobos' Choros XI, and the first and second piano concertos of Einojuhani Rautavaara. His writings include Luova hetki (The Creative Moment, 1998), "Pyöriikö kuu" ("Does the moon rotate", 2001), "Flyygelin kanssa" ("With the grand piano", 2004) and "Hämähäkki" ("The Spider", 2014). His compositions include a full opera, three chamber operas, chamber concerto for viola and chamber ensemble ("Peregrina"), concerto for piano 4-hands and the cantata The Ox and its Shepherd. His arrangement of Hugo Wolf's Italian Songbook and Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe have been performed with great success.

## Private life

Ralf Gothóni's first spouse was Arja Gothóni; their son, Mark Gothóni (born 1967), is a violinist, chamber musician, and professor at the Berlin University of the Arts. His second spouse was Aila Rath-Gothóni; their son, Maris Gothóni (born 1979), is a pianist and poet. Aila Rath-Gothóni died in a traffic accident in 1996. His third spouse was violinist Elina Vähälä, but the marriage ended in divorce in 2013. Gothóni was married to violist Suzan Saber from 2013 to 2022.