"A pianist of astonishing technique and engaging musicality," writes the Los Angeles Times of piano legend Nicolas Hodges. October 26 the British piano star will perform in Lithuania for the first time - at the concert held at the National Philharmonic, the pianist will play both a solo piano piece and a piano concerto with an orchestra. The concert will be attended by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, which will be conducted by the charismatic British conductor Jack Sheen.
The wide repertoire of Nicolas Hodges includes the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Claude Debussy, Alban Berg, Igor Stravinsky, which form the basis of the piano classics, which become a kind of springboard for interpretations of the music created today. "One of Europe's best performers in today's music, he transforms seemingly complex music into something that begins to speak for itself," writes Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Swed about Nicolas Hodges' extraordinary musicality. According to the music magazine "Tempo", Hodges, who has mastered a wide repertoire, is able to present today's music as if it had already become a timeless classic. Performing both classical and contemporary music, Hodges seeks a fresh perspective. According to the Guardian, he is a courageous pianist who energetically directs his interpretations in a direction that not everyone would dare to take.
The pianist collaborates with famous conductors - Daniel Barenboim, Sylvain Cambreling, James Levine, Susanna Mälkki, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Thomas Adès, performs with the world's most famous orchestras: London, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Francisco, BBC, City of Birmingham , Frankfurt, Bavarian Radio, Melbourne, Sydney, Luxembourg, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, with ASKO/Schoenberg, International Contemporary Ensemble New York, Remix Ensemble, Contrechamps Geneva and many others. The pianist's latest discography includes Thomas Adès' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra "In Seven Days" with the London Sinfonietta, Harrison Birtwistle's works for both and other recordings.
Hodges was born in London, studied at Cambridge and Bristol universities, but has been living in Germany for about twenty years. His virtuosity and sensitive musicality allow him to take on the most challenging works, which is why composers are happy to entrust Hodges with their latest opus. Key to Hodges' career was his close collaboration with famous composers John Adams, Helmut Lachenmann and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Thomas Adès, Gerald Barry, Elliott Carter, Pascal Dusapin, Beat Furrer, Isabel Mundry, Wolfgang Rihm and many other famous creators of today dedicate their works to him. The pianist had a particularly close collaboration with Sir Harrison Birtwistle (1934-2022), who even described Hodges as "my Peter Pears" (referring to the long-term creative collaboration between Benjamin Britten and the famous tenor Peter Pears).
This concert in Vilnius will mark the centenary of the legendary composer György Ligeti (1923–2006). Nicolas Hodges will play G. Ligeti's famous piano etudes, which have become some of the most popular in the repertoire of many prominent pianists. The selection of etudes will include "Galamb borong" ("Dove takes a bath"), "Fém" ("Metal"), "Vertige" ("Vertigo"), "L'escalier du diable" ("Devil's stairs"), "Coloana infinita" ("The Endless Column"). Hodges will also perform G. Ligeti's impressive Concerto for piano and orchestra. Performed with incredible rhythmic ingenuity by Nicolas Hodges according to the Sydney Morning Herald, this piece is sure to provide listeners with a special artistic experience.
