Summer Concerts: Marc-André Hamelin, piano

Program:

Montréal native Marc-André Hamelin is internationally renowned for his musical virtuosity and refined pianism.

The summer of 2007 found Mr. Hamelin making his debut with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood for Beethoven "Emperor" Piano Concerto No. 5 led by Jens Georg Bachmann, and debuting at the Mostly Mozart Festival performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453, conducted by Louis Langrée, and performing a late-night recital of Mozart and Schumann at the Kaplan Penthouse. Mr. Hamelin also opened the Grant Park Music Festival with Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 led by Carlos Kalmar; repeats Mozart K. 453 for the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa; and made his annual recital appearance to close The International Keyboard Festival in New York City.

Highlights of the 2007/08 season include recital debuts with Great Performers at Lincoln Center, the Chicago Symphony Presents, the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, and the Celebrity Series of Boston. Mr. Hamelin makes two appearances with San Francisco Performances and appears in recital in Denver, Portland, Los Alamos, Mexico City, Santa Rosa, Saratoga Springs, and Lexington, VA. He also makes special appearances in chamber music of Ravel, Schnittke, and Shostakovich with Midori and friends at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center.

Orchestral performances include Ravel Concerto for Left Hand and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K.453 with Carl St. Clair to open the Pacific Symphony's season; Saint Saens Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Quebec Symphony and Yoav Talmi to open their season; Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Edmonton Symphony and Jacques Lacombe, the Toledo Symphony and Stefan Sanderling, and the Orquesta Filarmonica de la UNAM in Mexico City; Messaien's Turangalila with the Toronto Symphony and Peter Oundjian; and the Gershwin Piano Concerto with the National Arts Center Orchestra and Yannick Nezet-Seguin.

The 2006/2007 season included the world premiere of Kevin Volans' Piano Concerto for his debut with the San Francisco Symphony, led by Michael Tilson Thomas; Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 for a return to the Detroit Symphony with Kwame Ryan; Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 with Sir Neville Marriner and the Montreal Symphony; Messaien's Turangalila with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Sir Andrew Davis; Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Vancouver Symphony led by Tania Miller, and Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 to close the Kansas City Symphony's season with Michael Stern.

Recital appearances included the 92nd Street Y, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Harvard Musical Association, Pro Arte Musical in San Juan, the University of Utah, Wake Forest University, the Union College Concert Series and the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild.

Under exclusive contract with Hyperion Records, Mr. Hamelin's latest recording, a two-disc set of Haydn Piano Sonatas, was released in April 2007 to sweeping critical acclaim. In December 2006, Mr. Hamelin was awarded the Preis der Deutsche Schallplattenkritik, in special acknowledgement of his complete body of recorded works. Mr. Hamelin's double album of the complete Chopin-Godowsky Etudes won the 2000 Gramophone Instrumental Award. In 2001, with a double nomination for the epic Busoni Concerto with the CBSO under Mark Elder and the Chopin-Godowsky, Mr. Hamelin was the only classical artist to play live at the Grammy Awards. He received another Grammy nomination in 2002 for his recording featuring the works of Alkan.

In 2005 Mr. Hamelin was honoured to be made an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Québec.

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