Intimacy Sarah Luisa Wurmer

• Sarah Luisa Wurmer (b. 2002)
• 1 Wurmer: Arco (Improvisation) 01:39
• Johann Sebastian (1685 - 1750):
• 2 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: I. Prélude (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 05:03
• 3 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: II. Allemande (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 07:10
• Dorothea Hofmann (b. 1961):
• 4 Hofmann: ... Mit den Fingern zu Singen (Song without words for Yatga) 06:58
• Johann Sebastian:
• 5 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: III. Courante (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 04:30
• Leon Zmelty (b. 1997):
• 6 Zmelty: Topography of Fragility (For Altzither and close Miking) 07:10
• Johann Sebastian:
• 7 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: IV. Sarabande (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 04:15
• 8 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: V. Gavotte I & II (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 03:24
• Eva Kuhn:
• 9 Kuhn: Wie du Atmest (For Yatga) 03:29
• Johann Sebastian:
• 10 Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: VI. Gigue (Arr. for Altzither Solo) 04:24
• Julius von Lorentz (b. 2003):
• 11 Lorentz: Berührt, Geschnitten (For Altzither, close miking and Transducer) 09:40
• Steve Reich (b. 1936):
• 12 Reich: Piano Phase (Arr. for two Diskantzithers) 12:01
• Total Runtime 01:09:43

Info for Intimacy

With her debut album, "Intimacy," the 2025 Fanny Mendelssohn Award winner invites you to an extraordinary encounter between early and new music, exploring multifaceted interpretations of intimacy. The album's centerpiece is Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 in D major (BWV 1012), arranged for alto zither. The suite takes on a completely new sonic character—its polyphonic lines and harmonies unfold in a unique way. The suite is complemented by new compositions created specifically for this project on the themes of physicality and touch, which are in close dialogue with Bach's music. They reflect, break open, and condense—and interweave with the Baroque movements to create a coherent musical narrative, featuring Mongolian yatga, close miking, live electronics, and contemporary poetry.

As our society changes, the question arises as to how sensitive listening and engaging with the unknown can succeed. In a time of increasing polarization, music can be a place of encounter and connection.

Sarah Luisa Wurmer, zither
Tajda Krajnc, zither

Sarah Luisa Wurmer
With her artistic versatility and interdisciplinary concert formats, she shapes contemporary zither music. As a soloist on the treble, alto, and bass zither, she explores connections between early and new music. Her artistic work is characterized by close collaboration with composers, making a significant contribution to expanding and establishing a new zither repertoire.

Sarah Luisa Wurmer, born in Munich in 2002, is currently studying at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts (HMTM) in the class of Prof. Georg Glasl and Tajda Krajnc. Her mentors include Hanni Liang and Angela Metzger. A semester abroad at the Mongolian State Conservatory in Ulaanbaatar with Prof. Munkh-Erdene Chuluunbat expanded her repertoire to include the Mongolian arched zither "Yatga" and transcultural soundscapes. In the winter semester of 2025/26, she will be an Erasmus student at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, studying for a Master's degree in "Contemporary Arts Practice." Between traditional roots and the current zeitgeist, she is searching for a contemporary aesthetic of the zither with her own concepts.

She is supported by scholarships from the Max Weber Program of the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts and by Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now e.V.. In 2023, she was a finalist for the "Berlin Prize for Young Artists" (VAN Magazine). Her awards include the 2024 Ernst Volkmann Prize at the 10th International Zither Competition, the 2024 Munich Music Scholarship, and success at the XPLORE competition for new concert formats.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Sarah Luisa Wurmer has performed at the Mozart Festival Würzburg, the Thuringian Bach Weeks, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, and the Detect Classic Festival. Since fall 2024, she has been a regular guest with the transcultural Bridges Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic and the Munich Philharmonic. The 2025/26 season will take her to venues including the Elbphilharmonie and the Alte Oper Frankfurt.

Most recently, Sarah Luisa Wurmer impressed the jury of the Fanny Mendelssohn Prize with her unique instrument and the concept of "intimacy," and was named the 2025 winner. Thanks to the support, she will now release her debut album on the Hamburg label ES-DUR.

This album contains no booklet.