Biography

Wilhelm Magner is one of the most exciting viola voices to emerge in recent years. In 2022, he became the first violist in the 111-year history of the Prix d'Europe to receive the award. His interpretations are characterized by deliberate attention to phrasing and tonal color; Magner approaches works with "an original conception," the result of "careful and musical research" (Béatrice Cadrin, Ludwig Van Montréal). In 2024, he received a nomination in the OPUS Prizes for Concert of the Year, Modern and Contemporary Music, alongside the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra, for his performance of Walton's Viola Concerto.

Magner's 2025–2026 season includes solo recitals and chamber music performances across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Europe, with upcoming engagements including a Canadian tour with pianist Elisabeth Pion (Magner-Pion Duo) and performances with Anton Nel, the Miró Quartet, and others. He has performed at major summer festivals including YellowBarn, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Kneisel Hall, and Festival del Lago.

As Assistant Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music, Magner is the youngest member of the faculty. His students have received invitations to major international competitions and festivals including Geneva and Hindemith. He regularly gives masterclasses at Rice University, Emory University, the Puerto Rico Conservatory, and McGill University, and other schools.

Magner has created transcriptions of works by Bach, Scarlatti, Lutosławski, Paganini, and Waxman. This work reflects his engagement with expanding the repertoire available to the viola. He has also premiered works by contemporary composers including Sokolovic and Podgorsek.

In addition to his work as a performer and educator, Magner maintains active engagement with social media, documenting his musical practice for an international audience. He is also an accomplished chess player.

Magner studied at Yale University with Ettore Causa, following earlier studies at McGill University with André Roy and private studies with 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.