Oliver Margulies - viola

Born in Zürich, Switzerland, Oliver Margulies studied the violin with Robert Zimansky and Adelina Oprean. Further studies with Prof. Hatto Beyerle in Basel led to a completion of his formation as a violist. During these studies he was awarded the music college’s prize for the best interpretation of a chamber music oeuvre of Klaus Huber. Further valuable impulses were given Prof. David Takeno, Christoph Schiller, Thomas Riebl and Garth Knox.

Thanks to an Ambassadorial Scholarship of the Rotary International Foundation, Oliver Margulies was given the opportunity to study Jewish Musical Traditions with Prof. Alex Knapp at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the London University.

From 2005 to 2007 Oliver Margulies was member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra, with concert tours bringing him to the major cultural centers throughout Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. In 2005 he received important impulses from Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Lucerne Festival Academy. His special interest focuses on chamber music and contemporary music. In 2008 he played the first performance of the radio-opera “Praha” by Jakob Ullmann, which was recorded and broadcast by Deutschlandradio. Oliver Margulies is currently working as a free-lance musician in Switzerland. He is member of several chamber music ensembles and orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra Camerata Schweiz.

Oliver Margulies teaches the viola and is co-responsible for orchestra formation at the Zurich Conservatory of Music and the Zurich International School.