"Silvia combines, in a particularly formative way, intuition and natural musicality with a will for knowledge and questions that go beyond pure music making. She will go her very own way well, very well" Professor Matthias Weilenmann
ABOUT
Being educated as a recorder player in early and contemporary music, Silvia Berchtold's will for expression and her interests towards other art fields and different styles of music led her to becoming an active performer in several fields. In addition to performing in classical concert formats, she also stages crossover and interdisciplinary art projects, often as an initiator and creator. Currently she is expanding into the field of music theatre. In her unconditional quest for a very individual musical language, she creatively - sometimes more rebelliously, sometimes more empathetically - challenges the established tenets of recorder conventions; in the words of The Recorder Magazine (2017):
“ It appeared the possibilities were unlimited, with musical decisions based on how she wanted to express a phrase, rather than accepting perceived recorder limitations.”
Silvia is currently planning her first CD recording, which deals with questions of the boundaries between cultural assimilation and identity. In addition to the musical spirit of adventure of the early European Baroque, the CD will also include works from India and South America from the 17th century and 20th century. The CD is to be financed via a crowdfunding campaign, which will start on 1 September. More information will follow here soon.
Silvia's main focus is on reflecting on new concert formats and repertoire that is unusual for her instrument. She is particularly concerned with environmental and animal ethical issues, as reflected in the music theatre Di(v)e and Clouds, for example. Commissioned works for double flute, which have been presented on SRF's ‘Musik unserer Zeit’ programme, show her interest in expanding the boundaries of the repertoire. In the field of classical concerts, Silvia performs at festivals throughout Europe with her award-winning early music ensemble Tra Noi. More detailed information on various projects can be found in the project gallery section and under ensembles. Further information about some projects can be found within Projekt Galerie. and Ensembles.
She has performed as soloist and chamber music member in many venues and festivals, such as Resonanzen Festival Vienna Konzerthaus, Kaunas Philharmony, Musikfestspiele Potsdam, Alte Musikfestival Zürich, Early Music Festival London, Festival Mars En Baroque in Marseille, Innsbrucker Festwochen für Alte Musik, musiquem Lleida etc,
BIOGRAPHY
Silvia grew up in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, where her longterm recorder teacher Susanna Ricchio opened her the way for a creative approach to music making. From 2010-2015 she studied at the ZHdK Zürich with professor Matthias Weilenmann, completing her master in music pedagogy “Mit Auszeichnung”. At the same time she got additional qualifications in music therapy at the Bayerische Musikakademie Marktoberdorf. From 2018 to 2020/21 she continued her studies, focussing on Early Music at the CNSMD Lyon with professor Pierre Hamon (Master Performance) and on Contemporary Music at the HfM Nürnberg with professor Jeremias Schwarzer (Master Contemporary Music), which she equally completed “Mit Auszeichnung”. Masterclasses with Maurice Steger, Dorothee Oberlinger, Han Tol and others were complementing her musical education. In 2018 she took part in an artist in residence program in India, to learn more about classical Indian music.
Silvia won several prizes with the recorder, In 2024 her ensemble Tra Noi was awarded 1st prize in Concours International de musique ancienne du Val de Loire and won the audience award in Händel Competition Göttingen, 2023 Tra Noi was awarded “Wiener Konzerthauspreis” at the internatoonal H.I.F. Biber competition and won the audience award in Biagio Marini competition. 2022 she was finalist in the international Schmelzer competition Melk as a soloist. As well as soloist she got the first prize at the renowned international recorder competition MOECK/SRP 2017 in London, and 2nd prizes in 2015 and 2014 at the international Solo-recorder competition Nordhorn. In her teens, she won several first prizes at the German youth competition „Jugend musiziert“. She was scholarship holder of the Hirschmann Stiftung, the Deutschlandstipendium, Bourse Mécénat Musical Société Générale, Adami France, Musikfonds and Orchesterstiftung. Twice she won the prize to promoting young talents of her hometown. From 2021-2022 she was supported by the program Inszene (Deutscher Musikrat) for contemporary music.
In addition to her freelance musical activity she widens her perspectives on music, studying a masters in philosophy and musicology at the University of Zürich.