23.12.2025

Machreich Artists mourns the loss of JUSTUS ZEYEN

Justus Zeyen has been taken from us far too soon and completely unexpectedly. With his passing, we have lost one of the most important lied pianists of our time, and above all an extraordinary person, a close friend, an inspiring teacher and a dedicated family man.

Born in Kiel, Justus Zeyen received his first piano training from Cord Garben before continuing his studies in Hanover with Karl Engel and Bernhard Ebert, among others. His musical focus was chamber music and, in particular, lied accompaniment – driven by a deep devotion to words and music, which shaped his artistic work in an unmistakable way.

His international career took him throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. As a lied pianist, he performed at the world's major classical music venues – La Scala in Milan, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Theater an der Wien, the Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, among many other prestigious places. The list of outstanding artists with whom he performed included names such as Juliane Banse, Measha Brueggergosman, Diana Damrau, Christiane Karg, Dorothea Röschmann and many more, as well as with the choirs of the Bavarian, Central and South German Radio and the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.

Justus Zeyen had a particularly close artistic and personal bond with Thomas Quasthoff, ever since their first concerts together at the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival in 1994. Their collaboration set new standards for the genre and took them to the world's greatest stages, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Wigmore Hall in London, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Carnegie Hall in New York. Equally close and dear were his collaborations with Florian Boesch and Michael Schade. For the singers of machreich artists management, Justus Zeyen was much more than a pianist – he was a confidant, an artistic companion and a close friend.

His numerous recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, which won multiple ECHO Klassik awards, the German Record Critics' Award, the Cannes Classical Award and Grammy nominations, are testament to his extraordinary talent – the art of listening, breathing as one and storytelling.

Beyond the stage, Justus Zeyen was a passionate educator. Until 2020, he taught at the University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover and gave masterclasses in Tanglewood, New York, Boston, London and at the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, among other places. Since autumn 2020, he had held a professorship in lied performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

His subtle, often dry humour, his warmth, his modesty and his unwavering humanity made him a teacher, a colleague and a friend who was loved and trusted. Justus Zeyen was a remarkable individual. His passing leaves a painful void – in his family, to whom we extend our deepest condolences, and in the international music world. We will miss his artistry and his friendship, and are left with a profound sense of gratitude for everything he gave us.