Angela Hewitt
Encyclopedia
Angela Hewitt, OC
, OBE (born July 26, 1958) is a Canadian
classical pianist
. She holds British nationality through her father, Godfrey, who was the organist and choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa
, Ontario
for almost fifty years.
with Walter Prystawski, recorder
with Wolfgang Grunsky, and ballet
with Nesta Toumine in Ottawa
. Her first full-length recital was in The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto
at the age of nine where she studied from 1964 to 1973 with Earle Moss and Myrtle Guerrero. She then went on to be the student of French pianist, Jean-Paul Sevilla
at the University of Ottawa
. She placed first in the Gian Battista Viotti competition
in 1978 and also in that year won the piano category of the CBC
Talent Festival. She was also a prize-winner in the Bach Competitions of Leipzig (1976) and Washington, DC (1975), the Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1977), the Casagrande Competition in Terni (1976), the Dino Ciani Competition at La Scala in Milan (1980), and the Casadesus Competition in Cleveland (1979). In 1985 her international career was launched when she was awarded First Prize in the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, a unique event held in memory of Glenn Gould
. Part of her win was a recording with Deutsche Grammophon
of works by J.S. Bach which was nominated for a Gramophone Award
.
Angela Hewitt has performed around the world in recital and as soloist with orchestra. Her recordings on the Hyperion label are best sellers and show her extensive repertoire. She is most well-known for her cycle of Bach recordings which she began in 1994 and finished in 2005—covering all the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach. These have now been released by Hyperion as a box set of fifteen CDs. Her discography also includes works by Couperin, Rameau, Messiaen, Chabrier, Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven and Chopin. In 2010 she recorded her first disc of Mozart concerto
s with the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova which will be released in 2011.
Angela Hewitt’s entire 2007-2008 season was devoted to performances of the complete Bach Well-Tempered Clavier in major cities all over the world, including London (Royal Festival Hall
), New York (Carnegie Hall
), Los Angeles, Berkeley, Portland, Vancouver, Denver, Ottawa, Toronto, Mexico City, Bogota, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Macao, Sydney, Melbourne, Warsaw, Milan, Lisbon, Venice, Bilbao, Zurich, Stuttgart, Glasgow, Pretoria, and Hong Kong. A special DVD lecture-recital entitled Bach Performance on the Piano was released by Hyperion to coincide with the tour. Before the end of the tour, she re-recorded the work which was released by Hyperion in 2009 to great critical acclaim from around the world.
In July 2005, Angela Hewitt launched her own Trasimeno Music Festival in the heart of Umbria
near Perugia
. Now an annual event, it draws an international audience to the Castle of the Knights of Malta in Magione, on the shores of Lake Trasimeno
. Seven concerts in seven days feature Hewitt as a recitalist, chamber music
ian, song accompanist, and conductor, working with both established and young artists of her choosing.
After living in Paris from 1978 to 1985, Angela Hewitt has made London
her main residence. She also has homes in Ottawa and Umbria
, Italy
. In 2000, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
(OC). She was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) on June 17, 2006. Angela Hewitt was named Gramophone Artist of the Year in 2006, received the MIDEM Classical Award for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2010, and awarded the first ever BBC Radio 3 Listener’s Award (Royal Philharmonic Society Awards) in 2003. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has honorary degrees from the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, Queen's University (Kingston), the Open University (London), Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax), and the University of Saskatchewan.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBE (born July 26, 1958) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
classical pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. She holds British nationality through her father, Godfrey, who was the organist and choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
for almost fifty years.
Career
Angela Hewitt began her piano studies at the age of three with her mother, performed in public at four, and won her first scholarship at five. In addition to the piano, she studied violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
with Walter Prystawski, recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
with Wolfgang Grunsky, and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
with Nesta Toumine in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. Her first full-length recital was in The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
at the age of nine where she studied from 1964 to 1973 with Earle Moss and Myrtle Guerrero. She then went on to be the student of French pianist, Jean-Paul Sevilla
Jean-Paul Sevilla
Jean-Paul Sevilla is a French pianist and musician of Spanish descent.-Early years:He gave his first recital at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen he entered the Paris National Conservatory of Music, where he obtained the First Prize in piano, as well as a unanimous Prix d'honneur...
at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
. She placed first in the Gian Battista Viotti competition
Viotti International Music Competition
The Viotti International Music Competition , named after the Italian composer and violinist Gian Battista Viotti , is held every year in Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy...
in 1978 and also in that year won the piano category of the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Talent Festival. She was also a prize-winner in the Bach Competitions of Leipzig (1976) and Washington, DC (1975), the Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1977), the Casagrande Competition in Terni (1976), the Dino Ciani Competition at La Scala in Milan (1980), and the Casadesus Competition in Cleveland (1979). In 1985 her international career was launched when she was awarded First Prize in the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, a unique event held in memory of Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould
Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach...
. Part of her win was a recording with Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
of works by J.S. Bach which was nominated for a Gramophone Award
Gramophone Award
The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. The winners are selected annually by critics for the Gramophone magazine and various members of the industry, including...
.
Angela Hewitt has performed around the world in recital and as soloist with orchestra. Her recordings on the Hyperion label are best sellers and show her extensive repertoire. She is most well-known for her cycle of Bach recordings which she began in 1994 and finished in 2005—covering all the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach. These have now been released by Hyperion as a box set of fifteen CDs. Her discography also includes works by Couperin, Rameau, Messiaen, Chabrier, Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven and Chopin. In 2010 she recorded her first disc of Mozart concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s with the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova which will be released in 2011.
Angela Hewitt’s entire 2007-2008 season was devoted to performances of the complete Bach Well-Tempered Clavier in major cities all over the world, including London (Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
), New York (Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
), Los Angeles, Berkeley, Portland, Vancouver, Denver, Ottawa, Toronto, Mexico City, Bogota, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Macao, Sydney, Melbourne, Warsaw, Milan, Lisbon, Venice, Bilbao, Zurich, Stuttgart, Glasgow, Pretoria, and Hong Kong. A special DVD lecture-recital entitled Bach Performance on the Piano was released by Hyperion to coincide with the tour. Before the end of the tour, she re-recorded the work which was released by Hyperion in 2009 to great critical acclaim from around the world.
In July 2005, Angela Hewitt launched her own Trasimeno Music Festival in the heart of Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
near Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
. Now an annual event, it draws an international audience to the Castle of the Knights of Malta in Magione, on the shores of Lake Trasimeno
Lake Trasimeno
Lake Trasimeno , also referred to as Trasimene or Thrasimene in English, is the largest lake on the Italian peninsula south of the Po River with a surface area of 128 km2, slightly less than Lake Como...
. Seven concerts in seven days feature Hewitt as a recitalist, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
ian, song accompanist, and conductor, working with both established and young artists of her choosing.
After living in Paris from 1978 to 1985, Angela Hewitt has made London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
her main residence. She also has homes in Ottawa and Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 2000, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(OC). She was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) on June 17, 2006. Angela Hewitt was named Gramophone Artist of the Year in 2006, received the MIDEM Classical Award for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2010, and awarded the first ever BBC Radio 3 Listener’s Award (Royal Philharmonic Society Awards) in 2003. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has honorary degrees from the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, Queen's University (Kingston), the Open University (London), Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax), and the University of Saskatchewan.