Art of Piano Public Masterclass: Marc-André Hamelin

“A performer of near-superhuman technical prowess” (The New York Times), pianist Marc-André Hamelin is known worldwide for his unrivaled blend of consummate musicianship and brilliant technique in the great works of the established repertoire, as well as for his intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. He regularly performs around the globe with the leading orchestras and conductors of our time, and gives recitals at major concert venues and festivals worldwide.

Highlights of Mr. Hamelin’s 2023–2024 season include a vast variety of repertoire performed with the Philharmonisches Orchester Hagen (Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (Reger’s Piano Concerto), and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (music by Franck and Boulanger). Recital and chamber music appearances take Mr. Hamelin to Prague, Poland, Oslo, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, Portland Piano International, Cleveland Chamber Music Society, Cliburn Concerts and Brevard Music Center with Johannes Moser, and across the U.S. with the Takács Quartet. Festival appearances include Tanglewood, Le Festival de Lanaudière, Grand Teton Music Festival, Tuckamore Festival, Schubertiade, and Rockport Chamber Music Festival.

Mr. Hamelin is an exclusive recording artist for Hyperion Records, where his discography spans more than 70 albums, with notable recordings of a broad range of solo, orchestral, and chamber repertoire. In September 2023, the label releases Mr. Hamelin’s recording of Fauré’s Nocturnes and Barcarolles, including a short four-hand suite, played with his wife, Cathy Fuller. In 2022, he released both a two-disc set of C. P. E. Bach’s sonatas and rondos and a two-disc set of William Bolcom’s complete rags that both received wide critical acclaim.

Mr. Hamelin has composed music throughout his career, with over 30 compositions to his name. The majority of those works—including the Etudes and Toccata on “L’homme armé,” commissioned by the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—are published by Edition Peters. Mr. Hamelin performed his Toccata on “L’homme armé” along with music by C.P.E. Bach and William Bolcom on NPR’s Tiny Desk in 2023. His most recent work, his Piano Quintet, was premiered in August 2022 by himself and the celebrated Dover Quartet at La Jolla Music Society.

Mr. Hamelin makes his home in the Boston area with his wife, Cathy Fuller, a producer and host at Classical WCRB. Born in Montreal, he is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Record Critics’ Association, and has received 7 Juno Awards, 11 Grammy nominations, and the 2018 Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. In December 2020, he was awarded the Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Keyboard Artistry from the Ontario Arts Foundation. Mr. Hamelin is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada.
 

An enquiring and innovative artist, pianist Élisabeth Pion leads an imaginative career as a soloist and artistic collaborator. Recent highlights: the release of her first recording with ATMA Classique, her debut with the Orchestre Métropolitain & Kensho Watanabe, as well as obtaining the Bita Cattelan Award at the Concours musical international de Montréal 2024 & the 3rd prize of the 2023 Rio Piano Festival, playing with the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira & Roberto Tibiriçá. Her second recording, a collaboration with Arion Orchestre Baroque, will be released in June 2024.

Élisabeth is a regular guest artist of many orchestras, such as the Toledo Symphony, the Victoria Symphony, and the Orchestre Classique de Montréal.

Élisabeth has appeared as a recitalist in several major venues, including Wigmore Hall, as well as Weill Recital Hall. She can often be heard on CBC/Radio-Classique and BBC Radio 3.

Élisabeth is an alumna of the Imogen Cooper Trust and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She is the 2022 recipient of the Choquette-Symcox Prize from the Fondation Jeunesses Musicales Canada. 

Élisabeth continues her artistic development with Benedetto Lupo, and benefits from the mentorship of Gabriela Montero.

Her strong interests in literature, writing, composition, repertoire research and Tai Chi nurture her musical practice.

Élisabeth Pion was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Pianist In-Ae Ha won 3rd Prize at the 28th Epinal International Piano Competition, the 28th Janáček International Music Competition, and was Finalist at the Wideman International Piano Competition. She began her musical studies at the age of four in Kentucky and was recognized for her talent when she appeared on the NPR’s classical music program “From the Top” at the age of 10. After returning to Korea, In-Ae made her debut at Kumho Art Hall in the Prodigy Concert Series at the age of 14 and won first place at the International Piano Competition of Korea. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Korean National University of Arts studying with pianists Dae-jin Kim and Minsoo Sohn. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree under the tutelage of pianist Arthur Greene while being appointed as Graduate Student Instructor, which provides funding for tuition during the full length of the program. In Spring of 2024, In-Ae has been invited to participate as a fellow at the Gilmore Festival, and will perform solo recitals at the Detroit Steinway Gallery, JCC Art Hall in Seoul, and for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by Classical Music Chicago. 
 

In-Ae Ha was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award. 

New York based Pianist, John Hahn has performed as a soloist in United States, Europe, and South America. His main performances on stage were in Steinway Hall(NY), Weill Hall(NY), Instituto Superior de Musica (Veracruz), Tlaqna Hall in Xalapa, Brevnov Monastery and Bertramka (Czech).

As a young artist, he has won multiple accolades from various competitions including Five Towns Piano Competition, The Prague International Piano Festival Competition, MSM Concerto Competition, and the Esperanza Cruz International Piano Competition. John has also been the recipient of the Hansoree Scholarship, Maria von Gelder Scholarship and the Vera Blacker Piano Scholarship. John has also participated in masterclasses with renown pedagogues/pianists, including Ivan Moravec, Tamas Vasary, Claudio Mendez, Phillipe Entremont, and Jorge Frederico Osorio. The major piano professors that John has worked with are Oxana Yablonskaya, Zenon Fishbein, and the late Phillip Kawin.

Recently, John performed as a soloist, performing Beethoven Piano Concerto no.5 with the Bergen Symphony and Asia Sinfonia. As for future plans this year, John is currently preparing for a solo album release with a record label based in Spain.

John Hahn was generously supported by the Artemisia Foundation Artist Award.

Described as a “phenomenal talent” by the Atlanta Audio Club, Peruvian pianist Priscila Navarro is the first prize winner of several international competitions, including the Liszt-Garritson International Competition in Baltimore, Maryland, Beethoven Sonata Competition in Tennessee, Chopin International Competition of Texas, Artist Series of Sarasota, Florida, Imola City Awards, Italy, and the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition in Connecticut. Priscila made her Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in 2013 and returned there in 2022 for further concerts. She received a Special Bach prize from Martha Argerich at the International City of Vigo Competition in Spain, being one of five finalists from over 400 participants. Her performances have been streamed on BBC public radio as well as the Medici TV channel.  Besides her busy performance career, Priscila is a passionate pedagogue and has been on the jury at several international competitions, including the Chopin International Competition for Latin American pianists, the Heida Hermanns International Competition, and the Parnassus International Competition. She is also the artistic director and founder of the Parnassus Music Society. In 2022, she received the Christa-Marshall Bach foundation prize at the Leipzig Bach competition. Priscila joined the roster of Astral Artists as a winner of the 2022 competition. 

Priscila Navarro was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.