Brett Deubner
American violist Brett Deubner has established himself as one of the foremost violists of his generation. As a sought after soloist who has performed with orchestras on five continents, Deubner has redefined the role of “solo artist” and given the viola a new standing in the world of classical music through his virtuosity, commitment to championing new music and dedication to fostering the next generation’s young artists.
As a concerto soloist, Deubner’s debut with the Grammy award-winning New Jersey Symphony Orchestra premiering Lalo Schifrin’s Triple Concerto resulted in numerous subsequent engagements throughout the U.S. and abroad. Deubner went on to perform worldwide as one of this century’s most important viola soloists appearing with more than 90 orchestras in 14 countries to unanimous approval for the warmth and sparkling quality of his playing. (Doblinger Press, Vienna) To date, Deubner has received over 50 viola concertos composed and dedicated to him and he has made 25 CDs on various labels such as Naxos, Orchid, Centaur, Innova, Parma and Albany to critical acclaim and glowing reviews.
In 2017, Deubner received the United States Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his commitment to music and education. In 2019, Deubner received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Classical CD Recording for his recording of Houston Dunleavy’s Concerto “A Kiss Before the World’s End” with the Orquesta de Heredia of Costa Rica. He is a recipient of the 2022 Global Music Awards Silver Medal for his recording “Transfiguration” an album of works by Stanley Grill for two, three and four violas of which he recorded all the parts.
In 2022–2023, Brett Deubner performed 10 viola concertos with orchestras in North and South America as well as Europe. In addition to recording with Brett’s piano partner Allison Brewster Franzetti in a highly acclaimed debut album “Mother Earth,” and Deubner also released his debut Solo album featuring works composed for him. In the fall of 2022, he made concerto recordings in Prague with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic and in Estonia with the Laanesaarte Kammerorkester. In the fall of 2023, Brett recorded the new viola concerto by American Patrick O’Malley with the BBC Scottish National Symphony for Orchid Classics.
A devoted and passionate chamber music collaborator Deubner has performed with Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Kalichstein, Andre Michel-Schub, the Tokyo Quartet, Vermeer Quartet, Colorado Quartet clarinetists Guy Deplus and Alexander Fiterstein, as well as flutists Ransom Wilson and Carol Wincenc. Brett Deubner makes his home in the New York Metropolitan area where he is currently on the string faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York. He has served on the faculty of the Round Top Festival in Texas for the past 13 seasons. He plays on a viola made for him by Alejandro Bacelar and is officially endorsed by D’Addario, the world’s largest strings manufacturer, as a solo artist who uses the Kaplan Amo strings exclusively.