Biography

Ranen Mintzer’s artistic career has taken him to international stages as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. In addition to his work in classical concert settings, he devotes himself to his own projects, which combine music with other forms of artistic and narrative expression.

Ranen’s work is characterized by a search for new sources of inspiration and, at the same time, a deep awareness of musical tradition. In his work, he is particularly interested in the connection between composer, performer, and audience. By incorporating various art forms, language, and visual elements, he creates concert formats that allow music to be experienced as a living encounter and bring people from diverse backgrounds together.Since 2017, he has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. He has also performed with orchestras such as the Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Chamber Academy Basel. As a soloist, Ranen has performed with orchestras in Germany, Israel, France, and Switzerland. His recent performances include Reinecke's Flute Concerto with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic and Vivaldi's Double Concerto under the baton of Zubin Mehta.His concert appearances have taken him to international festivals and renowned venues such as the Lucerne Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms, the Pablo Casals Festival, KlangBasel, the Berlin, Paris, and Cologne Philharmonic Halls, Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and the National Concert Hall in Beijing.Born in 1995 in Ra’anana, Israel, Ranen began playing the flute at the age of ten under the guidance of Anat Thieberger. He completed his studies with honors at the music academies in Tel Aviv, Basel, and Karlsruhe, studying with Eyal Ein-Habar, Moshe Epstein, Felix Renggli, Mathias Allin, and Pirmin Grehl. He received further artistic guidance from Anton Kernjak and Sergio Azzolini (chamber music), Ralf Ernst (voice), and Marc Hantaï (traverso) at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He received scholarships from, among others, the Kurt Redel Foundation, the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, and the Friends of the DAAD.

Freundschaft (Friendship)

A concert program of words and music
for flute, piano and narrator

“How unhappy I might be if I didn’t have you! From you I am constantly learning that vitality cannot be drawn from books, but only from one’s own soul. One must not look inward, but outward. You must always stay with me as my guardian angel; then I will surely become what I am meant to be and what I am capable of becoming.” (Brahms to Clara Schumann, August 1855)

Johannes Brahms, Clara, and Robert Schumann left behind a unique record of their deep friendship: letters and diaries written over a period of more than four decades. Through them, we gain a direct insight into their lives as musicians and composers, as well as into the complex relationships that existed between them.The concert program “Friendship” brings together the letters of the three composers with their music. Excerpts from their letters are read alongside works by Brahms, Clara and Robert Schumann, Bach, and Honegger. The selected passages shed light on individual stages of their lives and come together to form a kind of map that guides us through the lives and friendship of the three composers. Text and music engage in a lively dialogue: they complement, enrich, and deepen one another.The result is an evening of encounter: between music and text, past and present, performers, audience, and the three friends, who lived nearly 200 years ago, moved through the world, loved, and experienced joy and pain. Vivid and moving, as if it were happening today.

The program was first performed in June 2025 at the historic Alter Ratssaal in Baden-Baden, in cooperation with the Brahmsgesellschaft Baden-Baden e. V. and the City of Baden-Baden.

Chamber Music for Flute and Piano

Moderated concerts with Minkyung Kim, piano

The flutist Ranen Mintzer and the pianist Minkyung Kim bring together international training, extensive concert experience, and an intensive musical collaboration. The Mintzer/Kim Duo is dedicated to the chamber music repertoire for flute and piano. In their varied programs, the duo combines works from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic repertoire with music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Their concerts reveal the versatility of this instrumentation, from intimate, song-like moments to dynamic virtuosity.A distinctive feature of their concerts is the personal commentary. Through short introductions to the works, they create a direct and accessible connection between music, artists, and audience.Ranen Mintzer and Minkyung Kim met in 2021 during their studies at the University of Music Karlsruhe, where they began making music together as a duo. Both are passionate chamber musicians and completed their training with renowned chamber music teachers and institutions. They regularly perform at chamber music festivals in Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Clara Schumann - 3 Romances op.22 for flute and piano

A. Vivaldi - Concerto in C major for two flutes and strings RV 533, under Zubin Mehta

Robert Schumann - 3 Romances op. 94 for flute and piano

J.S.Bach - Orchestral Suite no. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067 for flute and orchestra