Staatskapelle Weimar
German violinist, Gernot Süßmuth, appeared as a soloist with orchestra for the first time at the age of 9. This was followed by prizes at children’s and youth’s competitions. He completed his violin studies in 1984 with a soloist diploma.
Afterwards, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin engaged him as concertmaster. From 2000 to 2002 he was concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Berlin; since August 2002 he is first concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Weimar.
Gernot Süßmuth is also a passionate chamber musician. From 1983 to March 2000, he was a member of the Petersen-Quartett, performing in the great international concert venues and releasing numerous CD’s. At the turn of the millennium, he co-founded the Aperto Piano Quartett together with his former quartet colleague Hans-Jakob Eschenburg; and in 2008 the Waldstein Quartett with Mirijam Contzen, Ulrich Eichenauer and Peter Hörr. In 2018 he became artistic director of the Thüringer Bach Collegium. He has also performed with other renowned chamber music partners, including Steven Bishop, Paul Meyer, Daniel Barenboim, Norbert Brainin and Martin Lovett. In addition to his chamber music activities, he regularly performs as a soloist.
Gernot Süßmuth was Artistic Director of the European Union Chamber Orchestra until 2011. Concert tours led him as the ensemble’s conductor and soloist through Germany, to various countries in Central and South America as well as to England. He was concert-master at the Oregon Bach Festival for many years. In 2012, he became director of the WestfalenClassics festival.
For many years, Gernot Süßmuth has devoted himself to teaching young musicians at the conservatoires in Berlin and Weimar, and in 2004 he accepted an appointment as Honorary Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar.