Dr Daniel Valentin Marx BMus MMus GC
About
My research project
The collection of the “Gitarristische Vereinigung München” – discovery of a forgotten repertoireIt was in 2009, when a large collection of guitar works was rediscovered in the attic of Mrs. Gabriele Wiedemann, in the city of Munich. A collection, that many had forgotten about, but that is able to document the richness of repertoire, the guitar had in the beginning of the 20th century. The collection of the “Gitarristische Vereinigung München”. The list of members of the Munich-based guitar club spanned from the United States over several European countries to Russia. The Gitarristische Vereinigung München was founded in 1908, by the members of the Internationale Gitarristen Verband (I.G.V. 1900-1908). The guitar club did an incredible job in collecting and organising the repertoire of the 19th century in the club library. Today, thanks to this work, we have access, to large amounts of repertoire regarding that time. In order to make this repertoire known and to give other guitarists and researchers the possibility to consider it, the guitar community is in need of critical performing editions, performances and recordings (Audio and Video) of these unknown works. In the course of my doctorate I aim to provide exactly that.
Supervisors
It was in 2009, when a large collection of guitar works was rediscovered in the attic of Mrs. Gabriele Wiedemann, in the city of Munich. A collection, that many had forgotten about, but that is able to document the richness of repertoire, the guitar had in the beginning of the 20th century. The collection of the “Gitarristische Vereinigung München”. The list of members of the Munich-based guitar club spanned from the United States over several European countries to Russia. The Gitarristische Vereinigung München was founded in 1908, by the members of the Internationale Gitarristen Verband (I.G.V. 1900-1908). The guitar club did an incredible job in collecting and organising the repertoire of the 19th century in the club library. Today, thanks to this work, we have access, to large amounts of repertoire regarding that time. In order to make this repertoire known and to give other guitarists and researchers the possibility to consider it, the guitar community is in need of critical performing editions, performances and recordings (Audio and Video) of these unknown works. In the course of my doctorate I aim to provide exactly that.
My qualifications
Biographical Notes
"Daniel Marx impresses us both with his technical mastery and his fascinating expressive abilities…he has a bright future lying ahead of him" - Klassikblog Ouverture, Germany
"Daniel Marx has everything a guitarist needs - a warm and strong sound, precision, focus and above all lots of expressivity" - Associazione Musicale Culturale "Nino Rota", Italy
"Both his guitars sound fantastic, and all in all, this is a lovely disc very well-achieved!” – Classical Guitar Magazine, USA
"Exceptional talent”—Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
The international success of guitarist Daniel Valentin Marx began by winning numerous prizes and awards in Germany, USA, Italy, Greece and England, that, amongst others, allowed him to record two albums, with the record labels GENUIN classics and NAXOS. His delicate interpretations and fascinating expressive abilities have been hailed around the globe, just as the capacity to always put music first and connect it to human emotions. “Brilliant, young and highly talented – a picture of perfect harmony”, is what the journal “Passauer Neue Presse” wrote on his debut at the “Neuöttinger Gitarrentagen”.
Marx is the winner of over 12 international competitions, awards, and scholarships in Europe and America (22° International Guitar Competition Hermoupolis, Greece (2014) // 15° Concorso Internazionale Luigi Zanuccoli, Italy (2017) // 11° Pacific Guitar Festival, USA (2016) // American Guitar Society - Bickford Competition, USA (2017) // Deutscher Musikrat – Förderprogramm Klassik (2021) // DCS-Award – International Guitar Research Centre - University of Surrey, England (2019) // BSCW-Promotion, Germany (2018) // Thornton Scholarship, USA (2016) // DAAD Scholarships, Germany (2012), etc.). He gave performances in North- and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia, being featured in such venues as the Bing Theater of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA), Apollon Theater (Greece), Hakuju Hall (Japan), Vallisa Auditorium (Italy) and at WDR Funkhaus Wallraffplatz (Germany). Aged 17, Daniel gave his orchestral debut as soloist with Erding Chamber Orchestra.
Daniel Valentin Marx began playing the guitar at the age of seven as a student of Peter Hackel at the Music School of Erding. He studied with Susanne Schoeppe, instructor at the Musikhochschule München, as well as with his most important teacher, Roberto Aussel, at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, where he earned both his Bachelors and Masters degrees with distinction. A Thornton Scholarship subsequently enabled him to pursue graduate studies with the musicians of the LAGQ (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet) and Pepe Romero at USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. As winner of the Doctoral College Studentship Award 2019, he is pursuing a practice-based Music-PhD in Guildford (UK) at the International Guitar Research Centre of the University of Surrey, under the tutelage of Prof. Stephen Goss.
Daniel Marx has performed in recordings and broadcasts for BR, WDR, Radio Nacional Argentina, Classical KUSC, Radio Vaticana Italia, SBS Radio Australia and the Arte television channel. In addition to the classical repertoire, he dedicates much of his attention to the discovery and creation of new works for guitar: firstly, through transcriptions (which have appeared with the Canadian publisher Les Productions d’Oz and video label Open Strings Berlin), secondly through collaborations with composers and thirdly through his chamber music projects, such as his duo with Rainer Seidel (BR-Philharmonic). Marx is the artistic director of the guitar festival in his hometown of Dorfen.
Publications
In 2009, a large collection of guitar music from the Gitarristische Vereinigung München (‘Munich Guitar Society’) was rediscovered in an attic in Munich. The collection included numerous significant works for guitar that had been long inaccessible with many by neglected composers who are deserving of exploration and revival. Wilhelm Schmoelzl’s Introduction und Variationen exists on the threshold between Classicism and Romanticism, while Adam Darr’s perfectly realised Sonata is notable for its striking use of Alpine folk music. The programme concludes with Carl Kamberger’s witty and surprising Grand Fantasy, with its multitude of quoted themes and unconventional techniques.
In 2009, a large collection of guitar music from the Gitarristische Vereinigung München (‘Munich Guitar Society’) was rediscovered in an attic in Munich. The collection included numerous significant works for guitar that had been long inaccessible with many by neglected composers who are deserving of exploration and revival. Wilhelm Schmoelzl’s Introduction und Variationen exists on the threshold between Classicism and Romanticism, while Adam Darr’s perfectly realised Sonata is notable for its striking use of Alpine folk music. The programme concludes with Carl Kamberger’s witty and surprising Grand Fantasy, with its multitude of quoted themes and unconventional techniques.