Barry Douglas
Encyclopedia
Barry Douglas OBE (born 23 April 1960 in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
) is a classical pianist and conductor. He studied piano, cello, clarinet and organ while growing up in Belfast. He first studied in Belfast while attending Methodist College Belfast (MCB) and, at 16, had lessons with Felicitas LeWinter, a pupil of Emil von Sauer
and grand-pupil of Franz Liszt
. In London
he studied with John Barstow for four years and then studied privately with Maria Curcio
, the last and favourite pupil of Artur Schnabel
, going on to study with the Russian pianist Yevgeny Malinin
in Paris
. He won the Bronze Medal at the Van Cliburn
Competition in Texas
in 1985 and the top prize in the Santander
Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition
competition in Spain
. He won the gold medal, outright in the International Tchaikovsky Competition
in 1986, the first non-Russian pianist to do so since Van Cliburn
in 1958.
's Pictures at an Exhibition
. He has made many recordings since then and has recently (2007) completed (with Camerata Ireland) recording the five Beethoven
piano concerto
s and the Triple Concerto
(with Chee-Yun Kim and Andrés Díaz). He is Artistic Director of the International Piano Festival in Manchester
, England
and the Clandeboye Festival in Clandeboye
, Bangor, County Down
. He founded Camerata Ireland
in 1998 which has Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
, and Mary McAleese
, the then President of Ireland
, as Joint Patrons.
Barry Douglas increasingly devotes part of his time to conducting the Camerata Ireland
orchestra. He has directed cycles of the complete Beethoven symphonies (in November 2002) and Mozart and Schubert symphonies and Mozart concertos in 2000 and 2001. He has recorded on the RCA and Satirino France labels.
(OBE) in the 2002 New Year's Honours List for services to music. He also received a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music
where he is Visiting Prince Consort Professor of Piano, and an Hon. Doctorate of Music from Queens University Belfast. He received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the National University of Ireland
in September 2007.
He is married and has three children. He shares his time between Paris
and Lurgan
.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) is a classical pianist and conductor. He studied piano, cello, clarinet and organ while growing up in Belfast. He first studied in Belfast while attending Methodist College Belfast (MCB) and, at 16, had lessons with Felicitas LeWinter, a pupil of Emil von Sauer
Emil von Sauer
Emil Georg Conrad von Sauer was a notable German composer, pianist, score editor, and music teacher. He was a pupil of Franz Liszt and one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation...
and grand-pupil of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. In 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...
he studied with John Barstow for four years and then studied privately with Maria Curcio
Maria Curcio
Maria Curcio was an Italian classical pianist who became renowned as a greatly influential and sought-after teacher. Her students included Martha Argerich, Radu Lupu, Dame Mitsuko Uchida, Leon Fleisher and Geoffrey Tozer...
, the last and favourite pupil of Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel was an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura...
, going on to study with the Russian pianist Yevgeny Malinin
Yevgeny Malinin
Yevgeny Malinin was a Russian pianist.Malinin was born in Moscow. A disciple of Heinrich Neuhaus, he began his career while a student at the Moscow Conservatory...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He won the Bronze Medal at the Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
Competition in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1985 and the top prize in the Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition
Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition
The Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition is a piano competition taking place in Santander, Spain every three years, organized by the Albéniz Foundation...
competition in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He won the gold medal, outright in the International Tchaikovsky Competition
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, Russia for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 30 years of age, and singers between 19 and 32 years of age...
in 1986, the first non-Russian pianist to do so since Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
in 1958.
Career
His debut album was a recording of Modest MussorgskyModest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
's Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
. He has made many recordings since then and has recently (2007) completed (with Camerata Ireland) recording the five Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
s and the Triple Concerto
Triple Concerto (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56, more commonly known as the Triple Concerto, was composed in 1803 and later published in 1804 under Breitkopf & Hartel. The choice of the three solo instruments effectively makes this a concerto for piano trio and the...
(with Chee-Yun Kim and Andrés Díaz). He is Artistic Director of the International Piano Festival in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Clandeboye Festival in Clandeboye
Clandeboye
Clandeboye is in modern times an area of Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is named after the Clandeboye family, a branch of the O'Neill dynasty. They settled in the 1330s after the death of the Earl of Ulster in what is now south Antrim and north Down, giving their name to the territory...
, Bangor, County Down
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
. He founded Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland is a chamber music ensemble founded by pianist Barry Douglas. They held their first concert in May 1999 with concerts at the Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the State Apartments in Dublin...
in 1998 which has Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, and Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, the then President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, as Joint Patrons.
Barry Douglas increasingly devotes part of his time to conducting the Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland is a chamber music ensemble founded by pianist Barry Douglas. They held their first concert in May 1999 with concerts at the Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the State Apartments in Dublin...
orchestra. He has directed cycles of the complete Beethoven symphonies (in November 2002) and Mozart and Schubert symphonies and Mozart concertos in 2000 and 2001. He has recorded on the RCA and Satirino France labels.
later Awards
Barry Douglas was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British EmpireOrder 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) in the 2002 New Year's Honours List for services to music. He also received a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
where he is Visiting Prince Consort Professor of Piano, and an Hon. Doctorate of Music from Queens University Belfast. He received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
in September 2007.
He is married and has three children. He shares his time between Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
.