Born: June 30, 1940 - Vienna, Austria

The Austrian pianist and fortepianist, Walter Riemer, started playing the piano at the age of 8, continued between 15 and 24 of age at the Conservatory Vienna (including one year at Eastman School of Music), and finished his studies with final exam by December 1964. Not intending to become a professional pianist, however, he also studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Vienna.

Besides making a living with electrical engineering Walter Riemer kept playing numerous recitals, mostly chamber music with strings as well as winds, but also Lied accompaniment and solo (on the modern piano, only lately on the fortepiano). He turned his interest to the fortepiano in 1994, having already been familiar with the Clavichord for many years.

Walter Riemer has been running the concert series at Niederfellabrunn Castle, Lower Austria, since 1988. In this place between April and October there are piano solo, chamber music and Lied recitals with renowned musicians, but also with the most gifted students "hand-picked" at the two musical universities in Vienna, to help them in their beginning careers. In the castle there are also exquisite studio conditions; Walter Riemer's two solo CD's "The Art of the Fugue" (BWV 1080) and "Goldberg Variations" (BWV 988), both on the fortepiano, were recorded there. The fortepiano for both recordings was built in 1994/95 by a Boesendorfer technician and Riemer himself from a Zuckermann kit after Andreas Stein, Augsburg, 1773, and turned out to be a perfect instrument. There are very few (historical or new) instruments around to match it in sound and playability (see photos below).

Walter Riemer is married and has two daughters and a son.

Source: Liner notes to the CD: "J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations", played by W. Riemer (NF-Audio, 2007); The Artist (June 2007)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2007); Walter Riemer (June 2007)

Walter Riemer: Short Biography | Recordings of Non-Vocal Works

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