Message from the Founder
Dear Friends of the Alkan-Zimmerman International Music Association,
Thank you for visiting the Alkan-Zimmerman International Music Association website.
I have always been fascinated by Charles Valentin Alkan’s works and by Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmerman’s highly interesting theory treatises and compositions. I spend many happy hours studying their scores and admiring their music.
I firmly believe that Alkan, Zimmerman’s beloved pupil, was one of the greatest and most original geniuses of the so called romantic period of music history. He composed a large number of well crafted masterpieces. His sense of structure, harmony, melody and counterpoint is of great worth. As a performer, he was praised by those who were fortunate to attend his concerts and recitals. He had many famous admirers. Franz Liszt was mesmerized by his technique and Frédéric Chopin was among his closest friends.
Zimmerman was a central figure in the Parisian music life of the first half of the 19th century. A warm and charismatic pianist-pedagogue-composer, who frequently organized concerts at his house inviting the élite of the composers-soloists of his time to perform.
The Alkan-Zimmerman International Music Association promotes the works of Alkan and Zimmerman. In addition, one of its main aims is to help stimulate the study of the Life and Art of once famous composers, performers, pedagogues and distinguished music figures belonging to the Zimmerman circle and to his Era, such as Ignaz Moscheles, Sigismund Thalberg, Delphin Alard, Jules Benedict, Ernest Dejazet, Theodor Döhler, Alexandre Goria, Henri Herz, Ferdinand Hiller, Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Antoine de Kontsky, Louis Lacombe, Alfred Lefébure-Wély, Anna Lemaire, Karol Lipinski, Henri Litolff, Antoine Marmontel, Charles Mayer, George Alexander Osborne, Adolphe Panseron, Johann Peter Pixis, Louis Pradher, Émile Prudent, Henri Ravina, Jacob Rosenhain, Karl Klindworth, Bernard Sarrette, Adrien-François Servais, Auguste Franchomme, Jenny Lind, Pauline Viardot, Luigi Lablache and many others.
The time has come for me to share my enthusiasm for the above, with young and older musicians, musicologists and music lovers from around the world.
Concerts, lectures, master classes and forums concerning the Life and Art of the above personalities will take place in the near future.
The Alkan-Zimmerman Manuscript Collection consists of a large number of important autograph manuscripts by legendary music personalities of the 19th century. It will help scholars and musicians come closer to the spirit of the great composers-performers of the romantic period.
The Alkan-Zimmerman International Piano Competition, which takes place every two years, focuses on the works of Alkan and on that of other significant composers of the Zimmerman circle. Furthermore, the contestants are asked to perform a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, the master composer, whom Alkan cherished throughout his life.
I look forward to sharing with you many wonderful music activities.
Warm regards,
Constantine P. Carambelas-Sgourdas
Founder and President of the ALKAN-ZIMMERMAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION
Founder and Artistic Director of the ALKAN-ZIMMERMAN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
ATHENS/GREECE
