Big Ben Phonogram

Justus Frantz
Conductor and Pianist

Recordings on Big Ben

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Double Piano Concerto
Camille Saint-Saëns, Le Carnival des Animaux Concertos

571-005-2

Grieg/Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos

571 009-2

Artist Biography

Born: May 18, 1944 in Inowroclaw, Poland


Justus Frantz – this is a name which one immediately associates with great orchestras and absolute dedication to music. For twenty years, Justus Frantz has been internationally successful as a pianist and conductor. He has rendered outstanding services to classical music on many occasions. Time and again, he discovers and supports young musical talents. Therefore, auditions in many countries on the Philharmonia of the Nations tour are a fixed item on his agenda - an excellent opportunity for young musicians worldwide to start a career in music. His discoveries include star violinist Midori, pianist Evgeny Kissin and violinist Maxim Vengerov.

A young talent is discovered
Justus Frantz began his extraordinary musical career in 1967, when he won the international music competition of a famous German television station. He began playing the piano already at the age of four. Early on, Professor Eliza Hansen recognized and fostered his talent. The studies of conducting in the master class held by Wilhelm Kempff contributed to his state of the art musical education. As a 23-year-old, Justus Frantz was one of the youngest artists ever to be granted a scholarship by the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German National Scholarship Foundation).

Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein prepared the way for his further musical career
In 1970, Justus Frantz rose into the group of first-class pianists with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. He celebrated his US debut five years later with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein, whose musical ideals he continues to adhere to. Bernstein’s dream of an international, young and professional orchestra inspired Justus Frantz to found the Philharmonia of the Nations in 1995.

Many awards distinguish his excellent work
Justus Frantz always succeeds in getting his music across to a broad audience in an unconventional manner. In 1986, he founded the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, was its director for nine years and turned it into one of the greatest music festivals of the world.

For the highly successful TV program he composed, he has been awarded several television prizes of high prestige. Since 1989, Justus Frantz has been a special ambassador for the UN High Commission for Refugees and in the same year he received the German equivalent to the OBE, the Grosse Bundesverdienstkreuz.

Justus Frantz is chief conductor of the Philharmonia of the Nations and works on a regular basis with renowned orchestras all over the world, e.g. the Marijinski Ensemble, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sinfonia Varsovia.