Sir András Schiff Recital
- Date
- 14 September 2022 – 8:30pm
- Place
- Auditorium
After his memorable concert with the Soloists of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 2018, Sir Andras Schiff returns to the Fondation for a recital of a completely different nature. To mark his return, the pianist is inviting the public to a spontaneous, freeform recital: details of the works to be performed will be announced on stage the evening of the concert. “Why not show more curiosity, initiative, imagination? We’re here to experience something together.”
The following day, Sir Andras Schiff will give an exceptional piano masterclass in the Fondation Auditorium, with three young talents selected from France and abroad. To promote education and knowledge-sharing, this working session is open to the public.
Recital & Masterclasse
-
Wednesday 14 September 2022
-
8.30 p.m.
Sir András Schiff Recital
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-
Thrusday 15 September
The artist
Sir András Schiff
Sir András Schiff was born in Budapest in 1953. He received his first piano lessons at the age of five by Elisabeth Vadász. He later continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest with Prof. Pál Kadosa, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados and with George Malcolm in London.
Piano recitals are an important part of his activity, especially the cyclical performances of the piano works of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Bartók. Since 2004, Sir András Schiff has performed the complete cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas in chronological order in more than 20 cities. Their live recordings from the Zurich Tonhalle on CD (ECM) received the highest awards.
For his recording "Ghost Variations" with works by Robert Schumann (ECM), Sir András Schiff received the International Classical Music Award 2012 in the category "Solo Instrument. Recording of the year". A duo CD together with his wife Yuuko Shiokawa (violin) with works by J.S. Bach, F. Busoni and L. van Beethoven was released in autumn 2017 and a recording with piano works by F. Schubert in 2019. His most recent recordings are from the last two years: A chamber music edition in collaboration with clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann includes the two clarinet sonatas op. 120 by J. Brahms as well as the Intermezzi for piano composed by J. Widmann and dedicated to Sir András Schiff. The latest recording with a recording of the two piano concertos by J. Brahms on a Blüthner piano with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was released in 2021.
Sir András Schiff performs with most of the internationally important orchestras and conductors. One of his main focuses is on performances of the piano concertos of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven under his direction. In 1999 he founded his own chamber orchestra, the "Cappella Andrea Barca", which he works with closely as conductor and soloist, as he does with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Sir András Schiff has been a passionate chamber musician since his early youth. From 1989 to 1998 he directed the Musiktage Mondsee, a chamber music festival that received high international recognition. Together with Heinz Holliger, he held the artistic direction of the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte at Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland, from 1995 to 2013. Since 1998, the concert series "Omaggio a Palladio" has been held at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza under the direction of Sir András Schiff.
Sir András Schiff has been awarded several international prizes. He was recognised for his exceptional standing as a Beethoven interpreter in June 2006 by being elected an honorary member of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn. In September 2008 Sir András Schiff received the Wigmore Hall Medal for his 30 years of musical activity. Sir András Schiff is also the recipient of the 2011 Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau. In January 2012, the artist was awarded the Golden Mozart Medal of the International Mozarteum Foundation. The following June, he received the "Order pour le mérite for Sciences and Arts". In the same year he was appointed as an honorary member of the Wiener Konzerthaus and as a "Special Supernumerary Fellow of Balliol College" (Oxford, UK).
Sir András Schiff was awarded the Grosse Verdienstkreuz mit Stern of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2012. In December 2013, he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in London for his outstanding musical work, the highest award of this society. In July 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Leeds and in March 2018 by His Royal Highness Prince Charles as President of the Royal College of Music.
In spring 2011, Sir András Schiff caused a stir when he publicly took a stand against the alarming political developments in Hungary.
In June 2014, he was was appointed Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music. Since December 2014, Sir András Schiff has been an honorary citizen of the city of Vicenza.
In 2017 his book “Music Comes from Silence”, essays and conversations with Martin Meyer, was published by Bärenreiter and Henschel. As a result of attacks by Hungarian nationalists, Sir András Schiff decided not to give concerts in his home country anymore.