Stephen Hough, piano
Stephen Hough is widely regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2001, joining prominent scientists, writers and others who have made unique contributions to contemporary life. Mr. Hough is also the 2008 winner of Northwestern University School of Music’s Jean Gimbel Lane prize in Piano Performance.
Since winning first prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1983, Stephen Hough has appeared with most of the major American and European orchestras and plays recitals regularly in the major halls and concert series around the world. He is also a guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Aspen, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh and the BBC Proms, where he has made over a dozen concerto appearances. Recent engagements include performances with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, the St. Louis, Atlanta, National, Cincinnati, Houston and Dallas symphonies and a US tour with the Russian National Orchestra led by Vladimir Jurowski.
During the 08/09 season, Mr. Hough returns to the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Detroit and Baltimore symphonies among others; makes his recital debut in Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall; begins recording all of the Tchaikovsky piano concertos in live concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra led by Osmo Vanska for Hyperion; and makes numerous other orchestral and recital appearances, including London, Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Frankfurt and Sydney.
An exclusive Hyperion recording artist, many of Mr. Hough’s catalogue of over 40 CDs have garnered international prizes, including the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Diapason d’or, Monde de la musique, multiple awards from Gramophone Magazine (seven Awards including 'Record of the Year' in 1996 and 2003) and several Grammy nominations. His 2005 live recording of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with the Dallas Symphony and Andrew Litton became the fastest selling recording in Hyperion's history, while his 1987 recording of Hummel concertos is Chandos' best-selling disc to date. His most recent release is A Mozart Album, with works by Mozart, Johann Baptist Cramer, Ignaz Friedman, Liszt/Busoni and Hough.
Stephen Hough is also an avid writer and composer. In addition to scholarly and critically-acclaimed CD liner notes and published musical articles, his interest in theology has led to a book, The Bible as Prayer, which was published in the US and Canada by Paulist Press in September 2007. His cello concerto was premiered in spring 2007 by Steven Isserlis and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic with Mr. Hough on the podium and his two Masses - Mass of Innocence and Experience and Missa Mirabilis - were performed at London’s Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral respectively in summer 2007. Mr. Hough has also published numerous original works and transcriptions for piano with Josef Weinberger Ltd.
Strongly committed to performing and promoting contemporary music, George Tsontakis, Lowell Liebermann and James MacMillan are among the composers who have written, or will write, newly commissioned concertos for him.
A resident of London, Stephen Hough is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London and holds the International Chair of Piano Studies at his alma mater, the Royal Northern College in Manchester.
For further information please visit www.stephenhough.com