The annual Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series at Ithaca College will bring renowned pianist Stephen Hough to campus for a free recital on Sunday, February 8. Featuring works by Liszt, a sonata by Hummel, and a series of impromptus and ballades by Chopin, the concert will begin at 3:00 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.
Established in 1991 in honor of a talented pianist and longtime College supporter, the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series has brought to the College such world-class virtuosos as Awadagin Pratt, Yefim Bronfman, Gilbert Kalish, and Garrick Ohlsson.
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 a particular interest in unusual works by pianist-composers of the late 19th century, Hough combines the imagination and pianistic color of the past with the scholarship of the present.
Since winning first prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1983, Hough has performed with most of the major American orchestras and numerous European orchestras. In North America in recent seasons he has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Toronto, and Montreal. He frequently visits and performs at international festivals, including those at Aspen, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Blossom, the Hollywood Bowl, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, and Salzburg.
Hough has made over 30 recordings, garnering such international honors as the Diapason d'Or and the Gramophone award. His three latest releases for Hyperion are solo recital discs of works by Schubert, Liszt, and Brahms. His recording plans include the complete works for piano and orchestra by Saint Saens.
Related Links:
Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series Welcomes Stephen Hough
The School of Music's Concert Calendar
Contributed by Erik Kibelsbeck
