Biography

Described as “one of the most exciting viola voices to emerge in recent years,” Wilhelm Magner became the first violist in the 111-year history of the Prix d’Europe to receive the award (2022). His interpretations are noted for “original conception” and “careful and musical research” (Béatrice Cadrin, Ludwig Van Montréal). In 2024, he was nominated for an OPUS Prize for Concert of the Year, Modern and Contemporary Music, for his performance of Walton’s Viola Concerto with the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra.

The 2025–2026 season includes recitals and chamber performances across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Upcoming projects feature a Canadian tour with pianist Élisabeth Pion (Magner-Pion Duo) and collaborations with Anton Nel, the Miró Quartet, and others. Festival appearances have included YellowBarn, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Kneisel Hall, and Festival del Lago.

Magner is Assistant Professor of Viola at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is the youngest faculty member. His students have appeared at major international competitions and festivals, including Geneva and Hindemith. He has also given masterclasses at Rice, Emory, McGill, and the Puerto Rico Conservatory.

An advocate for expanding the viola’s repertoire, Magner has created transcriptions of works by Bach, Scarlatti, Lutosławski, Paganini, and Waxman, and has premiered works by contemporary composers such as Sokolovic and Podgorsek.

Beyond performing and teaching, he shares his artistic practice with an international online community of over 25,000 musicians. Magner studied at Yale University with Ettore Causa, following earlier studies at McGill University with André Roy and Natalia Kononova. He is a recipient of the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award. He performs on a 2023 Ryan Soltis Nelson viola, and an Ouchard bow loaned by the company CANIMEX Inc. of Drummondville, Québec, as well as a 2025 Wojciech Topa viola.