András Schiff
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András Schiff
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Biography
András Schiff was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1953 and started piano lessons at the age of five with Elisabeth Vadasz. Subsequently he continued his musical studies at the Ferenc Liszt Academy with Professor Pal Kadosa, Gyorgy Kurtag and Ferenc Rados, and in London with George Malcolm.
Recitals and special cycles, i.e. the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Bartok form an important part of his activities. In 2004 he began performing complete cycles of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas in chronological order, and these are being recorded live in the Zurich Tonhalle.
András Schiff has worked with most of the major international orchestras and conductors, but nowadays he performs mainly as a conductor and soloist. In 1999 he created his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca, which consists of international soloists, chamber musicians and friends. In addition to working annually with this Orchestra, he also works every year with the Philharmonia Orchestra London and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Since childhood he has enjoyed playing chamber music and from 1989 until 1998 was Artistic Director of the internationally highly praised "Musiktage Mondsee" chamber music festival near Salzburg. In 1995, together with Heinz Holliger, he founded the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte in Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland. In 1998 Mr Schiff started a similar series, entitled "Hommage to Palladio," at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. From 2004 to 2007 he was Artist in Residence of the Kunstfest Weimar.
András Schiff has been awarded numerous international prizes, the most recent being in June 2006, when, in recognition of his interpretations of Beethoven's works, he became an Honorary Member of the Beethoven House in Bonn. In May 2007 he was presented with the renowned Italian prize, the "Premio della critica musicale Franco Abbiati" in recognition of his Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle. In October 2007 he was given The Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize, sponsored by the Kohn Foundation: this annual award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performance and/or scholarly study of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Last year András Schiff and the music publisher G Henle began an important Mozart edition project. In the course of the next few years there will be a joint edition of Mozart's Piano Concertos in their original version to which Mr Schiff is contributing to the piano parts, the fingerings and the cadenzas where the original cadenzas are missing. In addition, in 2007 both volumes of Bach's "Well Tempered Klavier" will be edited in the Henle original text with fingerings by Mr Schiff.+
András Schiff has been made an honorary Professor by the Music Schools in Budapest, Detmold and Munich.
For further information on András Schiff please E mail us on artists@harrisonturner.co.uk
ANDRAS SCHIFF WINS
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC
BACH PRIZE FOR 2007
This annual award, sponsored by the Kohn Foundation, is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performance and/or scholarly study of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
UK PERFORMANCES – subject to change
2008
MAY
14 London, Wigmore Hall, Schubert 4 Impromptus D899, 6 Moments Musicaux D 780, 3 Klavierstucke D946, 4 Impromptus D935
15 London, Wigmore Hall, repeat of programme on May 14
22 Manchester, Bridgewater Hall, Bartok PC 2 with The Hallé and Mark Elder.
23 Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall - as May 22.
26 London, Wigmore Hall, IMS Prussia Cove Gala Concert with Steven Isserlis, programme includes Bach Sonata No 1 in G BWV1027, Sonata No 2 in D BWV1028, Sonata No 3 in G minor BWV1029, Janacek Pohadka, Kodaly Sonatina, Enescu Nocturne et Saltarello
AUGUST
5 Oxford, Christchurch Cathedral. Bach French Suite 5, "Italian Concerto", English Suite 6, Beethoven Sonata op 106
SEPT
7 & 9 London, Wigmore Hall, Bach Goldberg Variations
OCT
2 London, Wigmore Hall, with Christian Gerhaher, Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte op 98/1-6, Schumann Fantasy in C op 17, Schumann Harfner Lieder op 98a (2,4,6,8), Dichterliebe op 48
5 Manchester, Bridgewater Hall, Beethoven Sonatas op 31 (1, 2, & 3), op 53
6 London, Middle Temple, Beethoven Sonatas as Oct 5.
NOV
13 London, Wigmore Hall, with Robert Holl, Shostakovich Michelangelo Suite, Mussorgsky Without Sunshine, Mussorgsky Songs & Dances of Death
2009
JAN
8 London, Wigmore Hall, with Hanno Mueller-Brachmann,Schubert Willkomen und Abscheid,Versunken, An Schwager Kronos, Meeres Stille, Prometheus, Berg Sonata op 1, Busoni 5 Goethe Lieder, Wolf Michelangelo Songs, Brahms Vier Ernste Gesange
MAY
28 London, Wigmore Hall, with Miklos Perenyi and Yuuko Shiokawa, Haydn, Piano Trios: E major Hob XV:28, F sharp minor Hob XV: 26, A flat major Hob XV: 14, E flat minor Hob XV: 31, C major Hob XV: 27
29 London, Wigmore Hall, afternoon Lecture Recital on Haydn Piano Music
31 London, Wigmore Hall, Solo Recital @ 1130 Haydn Capriccio in G major Hob XVII:I, Sonata No 32 in G minor Hob XVI:44, Fantasie in C major Hob XVII:4, Sonata No 53 in E minor Hob XVII:34, Variations in F minor XVII:6, Sonata No 62 in E flat major Hob XVI:52.
At 1930 hrs. Haydn 12 English Canzonettas and Part Songs - 4 singers tbc.
