Duo Barbara Doll / Cristina Marton


 


Born in Romania, Cristina Marton´s first piano lessons began at the age of six at the School of Performing Arts in Timisoara with Prof.Robert Schrodt.
After successfully competing and winning several first prizes in national competitions, Cristina moved to Germany in 1990 to study at the Musikhochschule Detmold with Prof.Arnulf von Arnim, and subsequently with Prof.Georg Sava at the Hochschule für Musik "Hans Eisler" in Berlin.
Cristina´s musical activity has flourished in a variety of directions, namely as a soloist, chamber musician and duo pianist. She has distinguished herself as a prizewinner in important solo piano competitions such as Arthur Schnabel Competition in Berlin (1994), Geza Anda Competition in Zürich (1994), Clara Schumann Competition in Düsseldorf (1997), Mozart Competition in Salzburg (1999) and the Martha Argerich Competition in Buenos Aires (1999).
In addition to her regular course of study and frequent concerts, she has participated in many masterclasses held, among others, by Yara Bernette, Christian Zacharias, Leon Fleischer, Dmitri Baskirov, Stephen Kovacevich and Martha Argerich; and the piano duo Marton & Bätzner worked with Andras Schiff, Radu Lupu and Alfred Brendel.
In 2000 she was invited to the Martha Argerich & Friends Festival, in Pescara, Italy as well as in the Argerich Festival in Taipei 2001 were Cristina also performed on two pianos with Martha Argerich.
Cristina Marton has performed with Orchestras such as Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Dortmunder Philarmoniker, Orchester der Oper Zürich (with Sandor Vegh), Berliner Symphoniker, Orquesta del Teatro Colón, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Argentina, Wurtembergishe Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, etc.
For 2003 Cristina got invitations to perform with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, Orquesta Sinfónica de Buenos Aires for what will be her first Latin American Tour. She was invited to participate in the "Martha Argerich Project" in Lugano (June 2002) as a "young pianist selected by Martha Argerich" where she played with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.
She has played in the most prestigious Halls such as the Konzerthaus Berlín, Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires, Auditorio Blas Galindo in Mexico City, Mozarteum Salzburg, Opernhaus Zürich, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Opernhaus Dortmund, Taipei National Hall, Asti Hall Kyoto, Atheneum Bucharest, Auditorio Manuel de Falla, Granada, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano etc.


Press Comment


With its mesmerising flights of fantasy conjuring up contrasting visions of exoticism, mystery and wildness, Enescu’s 3rd Violin Sonata ‘dans la caractère populaire roumain’ is one of the most remarkable contributions to the twentieth-century duo repertory. Barbara Doll and Cristina Marton offer an exemplary account of the work scrupulously following to the letter the very precise instructions that the composer inserts into the score. [...]
Surprisingly both artists seem far less inhibited by the Schoenberg. Relishing its restless energy, they deliver a performance of nervous intensity and brilliant technical control. [...] a warmly recorded disc with an imaginative and enterprising programme.
Performance *** [3 stars]
Sound **** [4 stars]
BBC Music Magazine, Eric Levi