Pierre-Laurent Aimard

“Aimard is a pianist of light and color. He makes everything he plays clear and vibrant.” Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2010 “. . . the most enchanting performance of Ravel’s ‘Miroirs’ I have ever heard . . . What Aimard did with it bordered on a miracle. For each tone poem . . . he created a new sound world with a completely different touch each time.” The Independent (London), October 21, 2010 (Concert Review) Pierre-Laurent Aimard was born in Lyon, France, in 1957. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Yvonne Loriod and in London with Maria Curcio. At the age of twelve, he was introduced to Olivier Messiaen and within a few years became the composer’s favorite interpreter. He is widely renowned as a central figure in contemporary music and has worked closely with György Ligeti for over 15 years, recording his complete piano works. He is also highly regarded as one of the leading interpreters of the standard repertoire and has performed worldwide with top international orchestras and renowned conductors. Aimard also performs in solo recitals and as a chamber musician, and regularly appears at all major festivals. He is a professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne and at the Paris Conservatoire; lectures and masterclasses around the world complete his pedagogical work. Exclusive interviews with Pierre-Laurent Aimard Watch on STAGE+ 1973 Wins First Prize at the Olivier Messiaen Competition, launching his international career 1976 Pierre Boulez appoints him First Solo Pianist of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, where Aimard remains a member for 18 years 1994 His recording of Ligeti’s Piano Concerto is released on Deutsche Grammophon 1997 Messiaen’s Réveil des oiseaux with the Cleveland Orchestra under Pierre Boulez is released on Deutsche Grammophon 2000 His recording of Webern’s Piano Quintet and Concerto Op. 24 is released on Deutsche Grammophon as part of the four-CD complete Webern recording 2001 Exceptionally successful debut recital at New York’s Carnegie Hall 2005 The Royal Philharmonic Society in London names Aimard “Instrumentalist of the Year.” Release: Boulez’s “Notations” and “Structures” 2006 Performs his seven-part concert series “Perspectives” at Carnegie Hall (2006/07). This includes the world premiere of Elliott Carter’s “Caténaires.” Begins his tenure as pianist-in-residence with the Berlin Philharmonic and opens his concert series “Carte blanche” at the Vienna Konzerthaus. Musical America names him “Instrumentalist of the Year.” Digital release of the recording of his performance of Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 18 with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at the Styriarte Festival 2007 Becomes artistic partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Innovative recital series of songs and chamber music at the Palais Garnier, Paris. “Artiste étoile” at the Lucerne Festival. Guest at the London Proms and New York’s Carnegie Hall as soloist and conductor of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Performance at the California Ojai Festival, where he is Artistic Director this year. Further concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. Signs an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon; first recording under the new contract: Bach’s The Art of Fugue 2008 Artistic Director of the year-long Messiaen Festival at London’s Southbank Centre; artist-in-residence at the Salzburg Mozarteum and with the Cleveland Orchestra, with whom he premieres a new piano concerto by George Benjamin in Lucerne. Performs Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie in Japan and several European cities. Plays Bach’s The Art of Fugue and Messiaen’s Oiseaux exotiques. Bartók’s Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra under Boulez at the Barbican Centre and Mozart Concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at the Styriarte Festival. Releases: his highly acclaimed interpretation of Bach’s The Art of Fugue, Messiaen’s Préludes and other works, and his contribution to Pierre Boulez’s Bartók project – the Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra 2009 As artistic partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, he plays and conducts works from Beethoven to Stockhausen. Soloist and conductor in Beethoven concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on European tours. Guest appearances in Europe, the USA, and Japan with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Jonathan Nott. Concerts of Beethoven, Ravel, and Benjamin with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, I Pomeriggi Musicali, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg. Lieder recitals with Christine Schäfer in Germany and with Matthias Goerne in Japan. Recital & recitation with Alfred Brendel in Vienna. Numerous solo recitals in the USA, Europe, and Japan. Festival appearances in Salzburg, at Styriarte, in Aix-en-Provence, at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, and at the BBC Proms 2010 Concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Bartók under Boulez), the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Carter and Ravel under Levine), the Cleveland Orchestra (Ravel Concertos under Boulez, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon), the Berlin Philharmonic (Schoenberg under Bělohlávek), the London Symphony Orchestra (Mozart under Harding), the Concertgebouw Orchestra (Benjamin under Robertson), the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand under Mikhail Agrest), and the NHK Symphony Orchestra (Ravel’s G major Concerto under Dutoit). Concerts at La Scala, Milan, under Dudamel. Lieder recitals with Goerne in Brussels, Athens, and Lisbon. Recital & recitation with Brendel in Germany and Vienna. Solo recitals in Europe, the USA, Moscow, and Tokyo. Festival appearances in Baden-Baden, at the Klavierfestival Ruhr, at Styriarte, at the Lucerne Festival, at the BBC Proms, in Aldeburgh and Tanglewood, at the Mostly Mozart Festival, and at the Music Now Festival in Chicago. Release: the Ravel Concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra under Boulez plus Miroirs (“Best Recording of the Year” at the Victoires de la Musique Classique) 2011 Concert appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra (Bartók’s Concerto No. 2 and the Schumann Concerto under Welser-Möst) in Cleveland and on a US tour including Orchestra Hall in Chicago and New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Messiaen’s Réveil and Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand under Chung), the Mahler Chamber Orchestra on guest appearances in Germany and Vienna (Chopin’s Concerto No. 2 under Robin Ticciati), and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe with Mozart Concertos at Styriarte and in Paris. Schubert’s Winterreise with Thomas Quasthoff at the Salzburg Festival. Recitals in Germany, Eindhoven, Bruges, Vienna, London, Luxembourg, Princeton, Atlanta, China, and Japan. On the occasion of Liszt’s 200th birthday, Aimard’s double album featuring compositions by Liszt and works by his contemporaries and successors is released 2012 Planned concerts so far include performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Numerous recitals in Europe, the USA, and China 5/2011 -