Eric Schneider

Hailing from the Bergisches Land near Cologne, Eric Schneider studied piano and mathematics. At the age of twenty-two he earned his piano solo concert diploma at the Cologne University of Music with distinction. Following his first competition successes and
piano solo performances, he discovered his enthusiasm for Lieder and chamber music. Eric Schneider pursued studies in Lied accompaniment with Hartmut Höll and also received decisive influences from Paul Badura-Skoda, Alfred Brendel, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

He expresses special gratitude to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf for her profound teaching of musical style. In addition, he studied orchestral conducting under Rolf Reuter in Berlin. Eric Schneider has established longtime collaborations with such singers as Christiane Oelze, Christine Schäfer, Anna Prohaska, and Matthias Goerne. He performs all over the world in prestigious concert venues, and his CD releases in recent years have included—among many others—Winterreise and Apparition with Christine Schäfer, Die schöne Müllerin and Wanderers Nachtlied with Matthias Goerne, and Sirène and Behind the Lines with Anna Prohaska.

As a solo pianist, Eric Schneider has performed notable recitals at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Kissinger Sommer, Beethoven Festival Bonn, and Ruhr Piano Festival. His most recent CD features works by Leoš Janáček, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Robert Schumann. Eric Schneider resides in Berlin and teaches Lied repertoire at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Picture: Peter Adamik