Sunday, February 18, 2007

Renaud Capucon, violin with Nicholas Angelich, piano

Capucon is stunning - almost as much of an actor as a musician, so carefully does he characterize each note...he moves from youthful dash to naive sentimentality and pouting sensuousness with ease… - Classic FM

The Three Brahms Violin Sonatas

Recently named “Instrumentalist of the Year” for 2005 by the French Victoires de la Musique, Renaud Capucon has taken his place among the top echelon of young violinists. He has performed with world-renowned orchestras such as the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, Bayerische Rundfunk, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, with conductors Bychkov, Chung, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Fischer, Robertson and Sawallisch, to name but a few. His chamber music partners include Argerich, Barenboim, Bashmet, Bronfman, the Labèques, Pletnev and Thibaudet. An exclusive Virgin Classics artist, Mr. Capuçon has recorded several CDs, his latest of the Mendelssohn and Schumann concertos with Daniel Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Born in the United States in 1970, Nicholas Angelich began studying piano at the age of five. Two years later, he performed his first concert with Mozart Concerto K. 467. Nicholas Angelich entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris at the age of thirteen, where he studied with Aldo Ciccolini, Yvonne Loriod, Michel Beroff and won the First Prize for piano and chamber music.

A great interpreter of the classical and romantic repertoire, Nicholas Angelich is a prize-winner of numerous piano competitions and awards, including the International Piano Competition R. Casadesus in Cleveland, and the International Piano Competition Gina Bachauer. In June 2003, he received the “International Klavierfestival Ruhr - Young Talent Award” from Leon Fleischer. His recording of the Brahms Trios with Gautier and Renaud Capuçon for the Virgin Classics label has been awarded the German Record Critics' Prize. Mr. Angelich has also released recordings for Harmonia Mundi, Lyrinx and Mirare labels.