Juri Vallentin & Philipp Heiß
Biography Juri Vallentin & Philipp Heiß
Juri Vallentin
distinguishes himself through a constant search for new forms of expression and narrative approaches for his instrument, thereby securing an outstanding position among young soloists. His goal is the continuous development of a contemporary context for classical music, spanning from the Baroque era to the present day.
A prize-winner at major international competitions—including the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in St. Petersburg (where he was the first oboist to be awarded a prize), the German Music Competition, and the International Oboe Competition of Japan—he has performed as a soloist with ensembles such as the MDR Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra St. Petersburg, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, the Lower Saxony State Orchestra Hannover, Musikkollegium Winterthur, the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2021, he won the Berlin Prize for Young Artists (curated by VAN Magazine) for innovative concert formats by young soloists with his solo performance *INNER VOICES*, developed in collaboration with director Neil Barry Moss.
His artistic work is documented by his debut album *BRIDGES*—featuring music spanning five centuries—as well as numerous radio productions for broadcasters such as BR, SWR, and Deutschlandfunk. His second album, *EBENBILD*, is set for release in 2022; it combines music and literature, drawing inspiration from early Baroque poetry in both its form and interpretation.
Alongside the core classical oboe repertoire—ranging from Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel to Mozart, Strauss, Martinů, and Zimmermann—he is passionately dedicated to collaborating with contemporary composers. Juri Vallentin has given numerous world and national premieres of works by composers such as Toshio Hosokawa, Gilles Silvestrini, and András Hamary, and is enthusiastic about rediscovering valuable, forgotten music for his instrument by composers including Johann Christoph Pez, Charles Bochsa, and Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre.
Born in Mainz, he studied in Nuremberg and at the renowned Conservatoire de Paris, graduating with the highest distinction. In 2021, Juri Vallentin was appointed Professor of Oboe at the Karlsruhe University of Music.
