simone-zgraggenSimone Zgraggen studied in Lucerne, Basel and Karlsruhe with Alexander van Wijnkoop and Ulf Hoelscher and finished all studies “summa cum laude”. She attended master classes in Europe with F. Gulli, I. Ozim, S. Bron, A. Chumachenco, R. Kussmaul, T. Zehetmair as well as in the USA with Ch. Avsharian, A.Cardenes, J. Silverstein and S. Shipps.

She was a scholarship holder of the Migros cooperative alliance (1995-1997) and the Kiefer Hablitzel Foundation (1999), won the Shar Award (USA), the first price in the competition of the universities of music in the Federal Republic of Germany and the “Lions price” as well as the “Brahms’s price” in the Carl Flesch Academy of Baden-Baden. In 2006, she received the main scholarship of the art and cultural Foundation Danioth.

Simone Zgraggen recorded for the radio stations DRS 2, Espace 2, SWR, ORF, Bavarian Broadcasting and for the state radio Moscow, She has given concerts in Europe, America and Asia, at the International Orpheum Music Festival in the Tonhalle Zurich and in the Easter Festival in Salzburg.  She made CD recordings released at Bella Musica (Brahms double concerto and Bach Partita d minor), at Claves (works for violin and piano of Schoeck) and at Genuin (string quintets of Schubert and Boccherini with the Schubert Quintet – high rated on klassik.com).

She is concertmaster of Basel Sinfonietta.

Simone Zgraggen  just has been named professor of violin at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg/Germany after having held teaching positions at Musikhochschule Karlsruhe and at the  Zurich Conservatoire.

Simone Zgraggen plays the “Golden Bell” Stradivari dated 1680 owned by a Swiss collector of independent means.