Stephen Hough
International Acclaimed Pianist

Stephen Hough has emerged as a unique presence on the international concert scene. From highly acclaimed performances of standard repertoire, in recital and with the world’s finest orchestras, to his interest in discovering unusual and neglected works, he combines the imagination and pianistic colour of the past with the scholarship of the present, illuminating the very essence of the music he plays. He was honoured in 2001 with a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship described as comprising “original and creative people of all ages and groups across a wide array of human endeavors linked together by their individual commitments to discovering and advancing knowledge and to improving society."

Since winning first prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition in New York in 1983 he has appeared regularly with most of the major American orchestras and with numerous European orchestras under conductors including Abbado, Ashkenazy, Dohnányi, Dutoit, Gergiev, Fischer, Jarvi, Levine, Oramo, Rattle, Salonen, Slatkin, Tilson Thomas and Vanska.

He gives recitals regularly in major halls and series all over the world, and has been a frequent guest at many Festivals including Aspen, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, Salzburg,Sapporo and the BBC Proms.

The 2003/4 season includes Stephen's recital debuts at Carnegie Hall and in concert with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, and return recital appearances at the Royal Festival Hall, London and the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. In April 2004 he completes his 'live' recording of the complete Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Litton, to be released on the Hyperion label.

He has an extensive catalogue of around forty recordings, many of which have won international prizes such as the Diapason d’Or, the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, Classic CD and Gramophone Awards. In 1996 his Hyperion CD of concertos by Scharwenka and Sauer with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Lawrence Foster was awarded both Gramophone Magazine’s ‘Concerto Record of the Year’ as well as their overall ‘Recording of the Year’; his Mompou recording (a Diapason d’Or and Gramophone Award winner), and his 1998 release ‘New York Variations’ (chosen as Best Classical CD of the Year by TIME magazine) further reinforced his status as an artist of the utmost distinction and individuality. More recently his Liszt CD was nominated for a Grammy, and his recording of the complete Saint Saens Piano Concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Sakari Oramo collected awards from Diapasond’Or, a Choc from Monde de la Musique, a 2003 Grammy nomination and, once again, Gramophone Magazine’s 2002 ‘Concerto Record of the Year’ as well as ‘Recording of the Year’ . Stephen is also a keen writer and has provided many of the liner notes for his recordings. These essays have received high praise and have been singled out by several critics as exemplary.

As a chamber musician Stephen collaborates on a regular basis with friends such as Steven Isserlis, Joshua Bell, Pamela Frank, Tabea Zimmermann and Michael Collins. He has also performed with the Cleveland, Emerson and Juilliard Quartets, recording the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms with the latter’s former first violinist Robert Mann.

Stephen is also strongly committed to performing and promoting contemporary music. Several internationally renowned composers have written, and will write, newly commissioned concertos for him - including George Tsontakis, Lowell Liebermann and James MacMillan. A number of Stephen’s own compositions and transcriptions are published by Josef Weinberger Ltd.