# Jonas Stark (pianist)

Jonas Stark (born 8 July 1998 in Saarlouis) is a German pianist. He has performed in numerous countries across Europe, as well as in Asia and Australia, and has appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras.

## Biography

Jonas Stark began his musical training at the age of five with Jelena Semenenko. In 2018, he completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Music Saar under Professor Thomas Duis. He then pursued a Master’s degree and the Professional Diploma with Professor Ian Fountain at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Since 2021, he has been a student of Professor Roland Krüger in the Soloklasse at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, where he is also holding a teaching position for piano since 2023.
Stark has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists and musicians, including Dmitri Alexeev, Dmitri Bashkirov, Adrian Brendel, Imogen Cooper, Pascal Devoyon, Christopher Elton, Konrad Elser, Janina Fialkowska, Peter Frankl, Bernd Goetzke, Grigory Gruzman, Martin Helmchen, Leslie Howard, Geoffrey Madge, Anna Malikova, Robert McDonald, Midori, Steven Osborne, John Perry, Arie Vardi, and Jörg Widmann.
He became Young Steinway Artist in 2021.

## Career

Jonas Stark has appeared as a soloist with numerous renowned orchestras, including the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, the Duisburg Philharmonic, the Haydn Philharmonie, the Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and the Norddeutsche Philharmonie.
He has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Marin Alsop, Marcus Bosch, Martin Fratz, Dietger Holm, Axel Kober, and Kahchun Wong. His performances have taken him to Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, China, the Philippines, and Australia.
Recordings of his live performances and studio sessions have been broadcast by various national and international radio stations, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC Classic), Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR Klassik), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC Radio 3), Deutschlandfunk (DLF Kultur), Hessischer Rundfunk (HR 2), Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR Kultur), Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR Kultur), Radio Canada, Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR Kultur), Swiss Radio (SRF Kultur), Südwestrundfunk (SWR Kultur), and Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR 3).

## Awards and Honours

Jonas Stark has received numerous prizes at national and international competitions, including:
* 1st Prize at the 6th Hong Kong International Piano Competition (2022)
* Special Prize at the 71st ARD International Music Competition in Munich (2022)
* 3rd Prize at the 14th International Schubert Competition in Dortmund (2021)
* 1st Prize at the 19th Walter Gieseking Competition in Saarbrücken (2017)
* 1st Prize at the International Piano Competition FLAME in Paris (2017)
* 1st Prize at the 51st national “Jugend musiziert” competition in Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel (2014)
* Encouragement Award at the 13th International Piano Competition Ettlingen (2012)
* 2nd Prize at the International Rachmaninov Competition in Frankfurt (2010)
* 1st Prize at the Concours Musical de France in Paris (2009)
He has also twice been awarded the Saarland Special Prize for Outstanding Solo Performances.

## Scholarships

Jonas Stark is an alumnus of the following foundations:
* Countess of Munster Musical Trust
* DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
* Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben
* Studienstiftung (German Academic Scholarship Foundation)
* Hans und Ruth Giessen Foundation
* Imogen Cooper Music Trust
* Jürgen Ponto Foundation
* Konzertförderung Deutscher Musikwettbewerb