"What a strong hit! (...) you can't help but be amazed.
Piano News
The Onyx Piano Duo is known for its subtle sense of tone colour and the unconditional fusion of the two pianists at their instruments. The trade press describes Marie-Thérèse and Jonas Gleim as "a duo that is not only perfectly attuned to each other, but also makes music in a highly refreshing and infectious way" (klassik-heute) and "sparkles with joy in playing and creativity" (pizzicato).​​
The name of the Onyx Piano Duo refers to the gemstone of the same name, whose characteristic black and white contrasting layers are reminiscent of the keys and shiny black surface of a concert grand piano.
The duo's extensive repertoire includes not only well-known masterpieces but also forgotten or rarely performed works, from which the two musicians compile imaginative and harmoniously conceived programmes that never fail to thrill and surprise their audiences. Their interpretations always focus on a shared understanding of the music.
Their debut album Souvenirs, released in 2024 and featuring four-handed works by Barber, Ravel, Smit and Mozart, received top marks ("fascinating with its passion, (...) you couldn't ask for a better debut!" -PIANIST) and won the pizzicato Supersonic Award.
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Marie-Thérèse Gleim (née Zahnlecker) is a prize winner of the German Music Foundation, the International Competition for Banned Music, and the Classical Music Prize of the City of Münster and WDR. Together with soprano Theresa Maria Romes, she is the founder and festival director of the KAMMERMUSIK! Festival Würzburg, which has been held annually in October since 2021. Since 2021, Marie-Thérèse Gleim has held a teaching position at the University of Music Würzburg, where she previously completed her studies with highest honours under Bernd Glemser and in the chamber music classes of Denise Benda and Reto Bieri. She received important musical inspiration from other significant musicians such as Dmitri Bashkirov, Janina Fialkowska, Ragna Schirmer, Eberhard Feltz, Markus Schirmer and Grigory Gruzman. In 2023, she was awarded the Culture Promotion Prize of the City of Würzburg.
"With bravura and empathetic playing, the Onyx Piano Duo mastered the subtleties of these sonorous compositions with aplomb. […] What is fascinating [lies] in the precise and coherent execution of the crystal-clear runs, but also in the creation of lively dialogues. Fresh tempos and finely measured pedal use made [the sonata] an exhilarating listening experience."
- Die Rheinpfalz
Jonas Gleim is a passionate chamber musician, piano partner, and song accompanist. He performs throughout Germany and at international festivals.
A prizewinner of numerous competitions, he has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Junge Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie and the Mannheimer Kammerphilharmonie. In addition to his studies at the Würzburg University of Music with Bernd Glemser, Denise Benda, and Reto Bieri, he received further inspiration from, among others, Eberhard Feltz, the Cuarteto Casals, and the Mandelring Quartet.
Since 2024, Jonas Gleim has held a teaching position at the Würzburg University of Music and has received support from the Concerto Foundation, Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now e.V., and a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship. He is also active as a lecturer at chamber music courses and as a juror.