Born in Hannover (Germany)

Studies at Musikhochschule Hannover. Student of Prof. Helmuth Pallushek

1983 – 1985 Member of the Herbert-von-Karajan Stiftung of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Student of Karl Leister (Berlin Philharmonic)

Since 1985 Principal Soloclarinet of the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart

Ensembles: Ludwig Chamber Players | STUTTGART WINDS | FrAlHöTi | Duo mit Mako Okamao, Klavier

Equipments: JOSEF Woodwind Manufacture | Ligaphone, Paris

Album Label: TACET | Hänssler Classic | SWRmusic

Short Vita

For more than 30 years, Dirk Altmann has been a principal solo clarinet with the SWR Symphonie Orchestra in Stuttgart. In addition, he is very active as a soloist, chamber musician, arranger and teacher.
In January 2018 he recorded the clarinet concerto KV 622 and the clarinet quintet KV 581 by W.A. Mozart, with the Ludwig Chamber Players and Masato Suzuki (fortepiano, conductor) for the TACET label (now released). In 2016 he produced his PARIS album with the Japanese pianist and professor Mako Okamoto. Further CDs with works by Charles Koechlin, Robert Schumann and Paul Hindemith have been released with the labels Hänssler classic and TACET. As a soloist Altmann recorded the Première Rhapsody by Claude Debussy with Heinz Holliger and RSO Stuttgart for SWRmusic.
As a chamber musician he plays with the Ludwig Chamber Players (LCP), the STUTTGART WINDS, the ensemble FrAlHöTi and in a duo with Mako Okamoto, piano.
An ensemble version of the “Visions fugitives” by S. Prokofiev (LCP – TACET), which he did for the Ludwig Chamber Players Prokofiev Chamber music CD, was nominated for the International Classical Music Award (ICMA) 2017.
As a soloist, he was a guest at international festivals, In Ferrara, Schwetzingen, Salzburg or the Rheingau Music Festival. With Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Neville Marriner, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Thomas Hengelbrock, Peter Eötvös, Heinz Holliger and Daniel Harding as conductors.
In recent years, Dirk Altmann has repeatedly been invited to master classes in China, Taiwan and Japan. Since 2010 he has been cooperating with the Japanese woodwind instrument manufacturer JOSEF Woodwind Manufacture (Okinawa).