An active repertoire that encompasses such composers as Beethoven, Berg, Brahms, Debussy, Schubert and Stravinsky reinforces pianist Nicolas Hodges’ special prowess in contemporary music. As Tempo magazine has written: “Hodges is a refreshing artist; he plays the classics as if they were written yesterday, and what was written yesterday as if it were already a classic.”
Born and trained in London, and now based in Germany, where he is a professor at the Stuttgart Conservatory, Hodges approaches the works of Classical, Romantic, 20th century and contemporary composers with the same questing spirit, leading the Guardian to comment that: “Hodges' recitals always boldly go where few other pianists dare ... with an energy that sometimes defies belief.”
As a concerto soloist, Nicolas Hodges past and imminent engagements include performances with US orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, MET Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, St Louis Symphony, and with European orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, BR-Sinfonieorchester, Bamberger Symphoniker, hr-Sinfonieorchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta, City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, ÖRF Symphony Vienna, Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Basel Sinfonietta, ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble Amsterdam and Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, while performances further afield include dates with the Tokyo Philharmonic and Melbourne Symphony. In recent seasons, Hodges has become especially closely associated with the piano concertos of Elliott Carter (who celebrated his hundredth birthday in 2008), Beat Furrer (b.1954) and Thomas Adès, with Hodges giving the premiere of the British Composer’s In Seven Days in London in April 2008.
Among the distinguished conductors with whom Nicolas Hodges has collaborated are Daniel Barenboim, James Levine, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Hans Graf, Oliver Knussen, Thomas Adès, George Benjamin, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Ilan Volkov and Tadaaki Otaka. As a recitalist, he has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall (New York), Wigmore Hall (London) and IRCAM (Paris), and his festival appearances have included Tanglewood, the BBC Proms, Paris (Festival d’Automne), Lucerne, Salzburg, Vienna (Wien Modern), Zurich (Tage für Neue Musik), Innsbruck (Klangspuren), Brussels (Ars Musica) and Melbourne International Arts Festival.
Future plans include concerto engagements at the BBC Proms with London Sinfonietta, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BR-Sinfonieorchester Munich, LSO, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln. Many of these involve contemporary works, including the premieres of concerti written especially for Hodges by Georges Aperghis, Luca Francesconi, Gerald Barry, Miroslav Srnka and Hugues Dufourt. Recital appearances include Carnegie Hall and CalPerformances (Berkeley), in a programme featuring Debussy, Stravinsky and a new work written by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Bolzano Busoni Festival, Musica Strasbourg, Wittener Tage für neue Musik, Ultraschall Festival Berlin and Ostertöne Hamburg.
Nicolas Hodges’ discography includes solo and concertante works by Carter, Furrer, Birtwistle, Finnissy, Adams and Ferneyhough. Future CD releases include discs of Brian Ferneyhough on Neos, Walter Zimmermann on Mode, Harrison Birtwistle on Metronome and Rolf Riehm on Wergo.
2011/2012
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