Detmold Hochschule für Musik

Diemut Poppen was born to a musical family in Münster/Westfalen. At seven she received her first violin class and at the age of nine she was already performing in concerts. Through chamber music she was introduced to the viola, which she made her main instrument at 17. She completed her studies in Düsseldorf; Köln; Aachen; Berlin; Bloomington/USA and

Paris. She was admitted as a Fellow to the German National Academic Foundation. Her teachers included some of the great names in the viola world: K. Kashkashian, B. Giuranna, J.Bashmet, H. Schlichtig as well as the Amadeus Quartet.

From an early age Diemut Poppen played in concert tours that took her to the most important musical centres of the world. As a soloist, she has had the opportunity to perform with musicians like Frans Brüggen, Heinz Holliger and Claudio Abbado (debut Carnegie Hall). Her great love is her instrument as it is represented in chamber music. Renowned musicians have invited her on their own concert tours and chamber music festivals, for instance A. Schiff (Mondsee, Salzburg); C. Abbado ("Berliner Begegnungen"); G. Kremer (Lockenhaus); F. Helmerson (Korsholm); B. Pergamenschikov (Köln); L. Vogt (Heimbach); L. Kavakos (Athen) and Isabelle van Keulen (Delft).

In addition, Diemut Poppen has been a member of the Orsino Quartet; part of the chamber ensemble of the Mozart Week in Salzburg, in the Schubert Octet, in the Bosch Quartet, in the Poppen Trio (with her brother Christoph) and in a duo with Vassily Lobanov. In 1981 she was fellow founder of, and until 1996 solo viola player in, the European Chamber Orchestra. In 1990, Diemut Poppen was awarded the European Music Prize. In the same year, at the age of only 29, she was appointed successor of Professor Nobuko Imai at the Detmold University of Music. Since 2006, she has also held the position of Professor of Viola at the Escuela de musica Reina Sofia in Madrid. Besides her activities in concerts and at universities, Diemut Poppen has also been invited to master courses in Germany and abroad, as well as to the Mozarteum Salzburg. In addition, she took up the artistic leadership of the chamber music courses at the Thüringischen Summer Academy, a popular summer camp for music students ten years ago.

In 1997, she co-founded the Osnabrücker Chamber Music Days, of which she was the artistic leader with her pianist Vassily Lobanov until 2001. In addition, she is regularly invited to collaborate with orchestra academies in Germany and abroad, as well as to judge international competitions, like the ARD radio competition. Since its inception, Diemut Poppen has played first viola in the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under the leadership of Claudio Abbado.

Since 2007 she has held the position of artistic leader with the Detmold summer academy. She has made radio recordings with HR; SFB; Rias; DW; SR; BR; ORF as well as television

recordings with ZDF; ARD; ORF; RAI as well as CD recordings with Deutschen Grammophon; Live classics; Cappriccio; Ondine; Ars musici; Tudor; EMI; Mozart Museum Salzburg and Ediphone.