Micaela "Mica" Comberti (28 September 1952 – 4 March 2003) was an English violinist. Her concert career lasted from 1977 until her death. Born to a German mother and an Italian father, she was taught at the

University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817. With a student body of over three thousa ...

, the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

and the

Mozarteum University Salzburg Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Moz ...

. Comberti was involved in

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classical m ...

and played for

The English Concert The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener has be ...

, St. James' Baroque,

Ex Cathedra Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope when he speaks ''ex cathedra'' is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "initially given to the aposto ...

and the

Collegium Musicum 90 Collegium Musicum 90 is an English baroque orchestra playing on period instruments. It was founded by violinist Simon Standage and conductor Richard Hickox in 1990 and was jointly directed by them (either together or separately) until the death o ...

. She also taught at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

, the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

and the Royal Academy of Music. An award and position at the Royal Academy of Music are named after the violinist.

Biography

Comberti was born to a German mother and an Italian father in London on 28 September 1952. She was known by the name Mica from an early age. Comberti demonstrated a talent for music from an early age; aged 19 she travelled to Vienna to study with the violinist

Eduard Melkus Eduard Melkus (born 1 September 1928 in Baden bei Wien) is an Austrian violinist and violist.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003'' Following the Second World War, Melkus dedicated himself to the exploration of historically informed ...

at the

with her experiences directing her to historical performances. In 1970 Comberti performed with the jazz band Centipede run by the pianist

Keith Tippett Keith Graham Tippetts (25 August 1947 – 14 June 2020), known professionally as Keith Tippett, was a British jazz pianist and composer. According to AllMusic, Tippett's career "..spanned jazz-rock, progressive rock, improvised and contemporary ...

. She returned to the United Kingdom in 1972. Comberti spent the following three years under the tutelage of

Manoug Parikian Manoug Parikian (15 September 1920 - 24 December 1987) was a British concert violinist and violin professor. Early life Parikian was born in Mersin to Armenian parents. He studied in London. Career Parikian made his solo début in 1947 and led s ...

at the

, London. She subsequently went back to Vienna for two years and underwent further education at the

as a pupil of

Sándor Végh Sándor Végh (17 May 19126 January 1997) was a Hungarian, later French, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music violinists of the twentieth century. Education Sándor Végh was born in 1912 in Kolozsvár, Tr ...

, whom had a profound influence on her life. Comberti had her interest in historical performance strengthened by attending the classes of

Nikolaus Harnoncourt Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; () (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music ...

. She returned to the United Kingdom for a second time in 1977 to become involved in

. Comberti played for a number of ensembles, record the scores of

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

and

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

with the

Salomon Quartet The Salomon Quartet was formed in 1982 as one of the first string quartets playing music of the classical period on authentic instruments and informed by historical scholarship. The quartet originally comprised Simon Standage, (violin), Micaela ...

from 1982 on and was principal player of

until 1990. Comberti left The English Concert in 1990 and began to lead orchestras for the St. James' Baroque, and

from 1987, and was a guest of other established groups. She played as a soloist with the

and recorded the Concerto for Two Violins for them. Comberti recorded the sonatas of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

with the harpsichordist and long-time musical partner

Colin Tilney Colin Tilney (born 31 October 1933) is a harpsichordist, fortepianist and teacher. Education and professional life Born in London, Tilney studied music and modern languages at Cambridge University, studied harpsichord with Mary Potts at King's C ...

. She taught at the

and then at the

and the Royal Academy of Music. Comberti was also associated with the Dartington Summer School and Festival. From 1999 on she trained the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

in period style for several of its productions of

Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...

and

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

and enhanced the reputation of the opera for its performances of the latter composer within Germany. Comberti undertook a similar venture with the

Hamburg State Opera The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''General ...

in 2002. Her final public performance was with the violinist

Simon Standage Simon Andrew Thomas Standage (born 8 November 1941 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English violinist and conductor best known for playing and conducting music of the baroque and classical eras on original instruments. Biography and ...

in February 2003.

Personal life

She was married to the violinist Gustav Clarkson, and had three children with him (two sons and a daughter). Comberti became ill while holidaying in August 2002 and was diagnosed with cancer. She followed a strict diet to lessen the effects of cancer and continued to teach through her illness. She died on 4 March 2003.

Legacy

Standage in his obituary of Comberti in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' said Comberti was "at the forefront of an influential generation of British early musicians. As a zestful performer with an inquiring spirit and, more recently, as a thoughtful and dedicated teacher, she earned the affection and respect of colleagues and pupils alike." A performance of Bach's ''

St John Passion The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...

'' by Ex Cathedra at

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires (together with Truro Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh), and the only medie ...

on 3 April 2003 was dedicated to her memory. The Micaela Comberti Chair for Baroque Violin at the Royal Academy of Music was established in September 2008 and is currently led by one of Comberti's pupils,

Rachel Podger Rachel Podger (born 1968 in England) is a British violinist and conductor specialising in the performance of Baroque music. Career Podger was born to a British father and a German mother. She was educated at a German Rudolf Steiner school then ...

. The conservatoire also awards the Mica Comberti Prize on a yearly basis "for the performance of any complete work by JS Bach for violin,

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

viola da gamba The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitc ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Comberti, Micaela 1952 births 2003 deaths Musicians from London English people of German descent English people of Italian descent English violinists Women classical violinists Women music educators British performers of early music Women performers of early music Bach musicians 20th-century English women musicians 21st-century English women musicians University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Mozarteum University Salzburg alumni Academics of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Academics of the Royal College of Music Academics of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century classical violinists 21st-century classical violinists