Frieda Magdalene Hollmer

**Frieda Magdalene Hollmer** was born in Cologne, Germany, in 2014 into a family of musicians. She chose the violin and piano as her instruments and has studied piano with Maria Zeidler-Kröll since 2019. That same year, she began violin lessons with Michaela Zirnbauer and has been a student of Emir Imerov since 2023. In 2022, Frieda was also admitted to the talent network of the Rostock University of Music and Theatre (HfM Rostock), where she studies with Professor Henja Semmler.

Frieda is a scholarship recipient on both violin and piano at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein, the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben (German Foundation for Musical Life), the Haspa Music Foundation, and the Familie-Rahe Foundation. She is also a **Young Artist in Residence** of the hmt Rostock YARO program for 2025. She has received additional artistic inspiration through masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Prof. Ruben Dalibaltayan, Prof. Ingolf Turban, Prof. Wolfgang Manz, Prof. Jacques Ammon, Prof. Annette von Hehn, Prof. Mikhail Ovrutsky, and Prof. Michael Foyle.

From 2020 to 2025, Frieda consistently received **First Prizes with the highest possible scores** at the German national competition *Jugend musiziert* in the categories of string ensemble (trio and duo), piano and string duo, piano trio, piano four hands, solo violin, and solo piano.

In 2022, she won **First Prize** at the 20th Westphalian van Bremen Piano Competition in Dortmund, the 6th Thürmer Piano Competition in Bochum, and the Hamburg Instrumental Competition, where she was awarded First Prize in both piano and violin as well as the special prize *Young Pianists*. She also received **Second Prize** at the 8th Carl Bechstein Competition in Berlin.

In 2023, Frieda was awarded **First Prize with Distinction** (violin) at the Young Competition Rostock. In the same year, she won **First Prize** at the inaugural International Piano Competition Kronberg, **Second Prize** at the 7th Thürmer Piano Competition in Bochum, and **First Prize** in both violin and piano in the solo category of the 6th Konrad Adenauer Competition in Cologne.

Also in 2023, Frieda and her brother Oscar were awarded the **Youth Culture Prize of Wuppertal** and the **North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber Music Promotion Prize**. Together they perform regularly as a violin and piano duo.

In 2024, Frieda won **First Prize** and the **Special Prize for Contemporary Composition** at the 10th Carl Bechstein Competition in Berlin, as well as **First Prize** (violin) and the **Jury Special Prize** at the Al Hoffmann Young Competition in Rostock. At the 2024 state competition *Jugend komponiert*, two of her own compositions were awarded **First Prize**. She was also a semifinalist at the international violin competition *Piccolo Violino Magico* in Italy and was once again honored with the **Youth Culture Prize of the City of Wuppertal**.

In 2024, Frieda made her orchestral debut with the **Accademia d'Archi Arrigoni** in San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy. She also performed as soloist in Vivaldi's *Winter* at the annual conference of the German early music education institutes in the Chamber Music Hall of the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Frieda has performed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Cologne University of Music and Dance (HfMT Köln), the New Hall and Chamber Music Hall of the Folkwang University of the Arts, the Altes Küsterhaus in Meerbusch, the Tersteegenhaus and Sancta Clara Keller in Cologne, HfM Rostock, the Auditorium H. Zotti in San Vito al Tagliamento (Italy), Château Libermé (Belgium), the Cologne Philharmonie, the historic town halls of Münster and Cologne, the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal, the Peter Kaiser Hall in Eschen (Liechtenstein), Schloss Britz in Berlin, the Thürmer Hall in Bochum, the Carl Bechstein Hall and the Great Hall of the Casals Forum at Kronberg Academy, the Peter Kaiser Concert Hall of the Music Academy in Liechtenstein, and the Small Hall of the Konzerthaus Berlin.

In December 2024, Frieda performed at the **Espresso Concerts** at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Together with her brother Oscar Benjamin, she also appeared at the **Highlights of Classical Music 2024** year-end concert at the SAL – Saal am Lindaplatz in Schaan, Liechtenstein, organized by the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein.

In 2025, Frieda performed at the official inauguration ceremony of the new building and the new Bösendorfer grand piano at the Rheinische Musikschule Cologne. In May 2025, she appeared as soloist with the **Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra**, performing Mozart's **Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216**, as part of the *Klanglabor* concert series.