Isabel Gabbe

was born in Munich in 1973 to French German parents and took her first piano lessons at the age of six. As a young student of Manfred Fock at the Lübeck Conservatory, she won prizes at the German national competition “Jugend-Musiziert” in 1990 and 1992. At the same time she studied music theory and composition under Arnold Maury in Kiel and later piano under Hans Leygraf at the “Mozarteum” Salzburg as well as at the “Hochschule der Künste” Berlin. She received further important stimuli in master classes with artists such as John Perry, Geörgy Sebök, Klaus Schilde, Peter Frankle, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Paul Badura-Skoda and Rainer Becker, as well in chamber music classes with Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet), David Finckel (Emerson Quartet), Zara Nelsova, Eberhardt Feltz, Wolfram Rieger and Dietrich Fischer-Diskau.

During her studies she won numerous prizes and awards including the Aspen Music Festival scholarship in 1995 and 1996, 3rd prize at the Bremen International Piano Competition in 1997 and 3rd prize at the International Duo Competition “Maria Canals” Barcelona in 1999 with Leslie Riva (cello). In 2000 she was chosen for the artist list of the German “Musikrat” and in 2001 she won 3rd prize at the International Chamber Music Competition Caltanissetta with her sister Sabine Gabbe (violin). The Richard-Wagner-Foundation gave her a scholarship in 2002 and in 2003/04 she became a teacher at the “Hochschule der Künste” Berlin. Since 2008 she teaches at the “Robert Schumann Hochschule” and the “Clara Schumann Musikschule” Düsseldorf

Besides numerous radio and TV productions for Deutschland Radio Berlin, Sender Freies Berlin, France2 and Radio Bremen, Isabel Gabbe ’s extensive concert and master class commitments have led her all over Europe, Brazil and the United States. She is a regular chamber music partner to members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Vogler Quartet