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About
Olga Watts was born in Moscow in 1973. She began her studies with piano and musicology at the Moscow Conservatory, and later took up the harpsichord at the Music Academy Munich under Professor Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Christine Schornsheim. She was awarded her degree with distinction in 1998, and in 2005 received her masterclass diploma. Masterclasses with Menno van Delft and Bob van Asperen, as well as collaborations with Reinhard Goebel, Franz Brüggen and Thomas Hengelbrock were very influential for her.
Olga Watts is a sought-after specialist in the basso continuo and chamber music, and plays regularly with several European chamber orchestras.
In 1997, she won first prize as Bavarian Young Musician of the Year in historically informed performance practice. As accompanist on the harpsichord, she has competed in the international Bach Competition in Leipzig and at the ARD Competition in Munich (ARD is a television broadcaster). In 2002, she and her ensemble Lyriarte won second prize at the Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Competition (at the Melk Foundation, Austria), and second prize at the international chamber music competition for period instruments “Premio Bonporti” in Italy.
As a continuo harpsichord player, Olga Watts took part in the world’s first ever recording of the violin sonatas of Geminiani’s op. 4 and Veracini’s op. 1, and the complete “Mysteriensonate” of H.I.F. Biber in a live recording by Oehms Classics.