Pied Piper of the Piano

30 August 2005

Pied Piper of the Piano

"It was, among other things, a breathtaking display of fiery virtuosity and interpretive subtlety. Each phrase and each measure sounded newly considered, with a speculative, almost improvisatory feel to the results that was exhilarating." [San Francisco Chronicle: Dec 2003]

Intelligence, virtuosity and daring put pianist Marc-André Hamelin in a class of his own. On Thursday 22 September this gifted musician makes his début with the Auckland Philharmonia performing Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto, in an all-Russian programme.

Italian Marco Zuccarini conducts this "celebrity" concert which also features Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and the Masquerade Suite by Khachaturian.

French-Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin was honoured to be made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003 and a Chevalier de l'Ordre du Quèbec in 2004.
Born in Montreal, Marc-André Hamelin studied at the Vincent d'Indy School of Music and Temple University in Philadelphia where he now lives. His teachers were Yvonne Hubert, Harvey Wedeen and Russell Sherman.
Following the success of his Wigmore series, "Virtuoso Romantics", he appears regularly in the Wigmore Hall Master Series as well as the London International Piano Series.

Under his exclusive contract with Hyperion, Marc-André Hamelin's recordings include concertos by Alkan, Bernstein, Bolcom, Busoni, Korngold and Marx, solo albums of Alkan, Catoire, Godowsky, Grainger, Kapustin, Liszt, Ornstein, Reger, Roslavets, Schumann and Villa Lobos and The Composer-Pianists (from Alkan to Hamelin). His CD of the complete Godowsky Studies on Chopin's Etudes won the 2000 Gramophone Instrumental Award. His latest project is a double album of Albéniz's Iberia and Espagna.

Marc-André Hamelin's current schedule includes concerto engagements with the Bergen, Bremen, London and New York Philharmonics; Asturias, BBC Scottish, Buffalo, Dallas, Lahti, Montreal, New Jersey, OSI Lugano, Saarbrücken Radio, Singapore and Winnipeg Symphonies; and Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Holland in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.

As well as recitals in Bayreuth, Bilbao, Edinburgh, Florence, Leeds, Monfalcone and Seville, he returns to Kaiserslautern, Milan, Montreal, Munich, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo and Warsaw. Festival appearances include Lichfield, Lockenhaus, Mannes College New York, Petworth, Ravinia, Ruhr Piano and Schwetzingen. In April 2005, he made a six-concert tour of Austria and Germany with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Auckland Philharmonia Vero Premier Series
Thursday 22 September - 8pm, Auckland Town Hall
Bookings: phone the Ticketek Orchestra Hotline on (09) 307 5139 or visit www.ticketek.co.nz

The Auckland Philharmonia receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and a major grant from Auckland City.

ENDS