Cyprien Katsaris
Encyclopedia
Cyprien Katsaris is a French
-Cypriot
pianist
, teacher and composer. He was born on 5 May 1951, in Marseilles, France
.
where he grew up. His first teacher was Marie-Gabrielle Louwerse.
He studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire
with Aline van Barentzen and Monique de la Bruchollerie, and in 1969 he won the piano First Prize. As well as piano, Katsaris also studied chamber music with René Leroy and Jean Hubeau
, and he won First Prize for this in 1970.
Katsaris gave his first public concert in Paris, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
on 8 May 1966. He performed the Hungarian Fantasy
by Liszt
, with the Orchestre Symphonique d'Ile-de-France conducted by René-Pierre Chouteau. Since then he has carried on to perform with many orchestras and conductors.
Katsaris has recorded the complete Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven
's nine symphonies, reissued by Warner Classics in 2006. He has also recorded the music of Mozart
, Chopin
, Grieg
, and other composers, including the rare piano version of Mahler
's Das Lied von der Erde
with Brigitte Fassbaender
and Thomas Moser.
In 2011 Katsaris created his own recording label, Piano 21.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
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:...
, teacher and composer. He was born on 5 May 1951, in Marseilles, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Biography
Katsaris first began to play the piano when he was four, in CameroonCameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
where he grew up. His first teacher was Marie-Gabrielle Louwerse.
He studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
with Aline van Barentzen and Monique de la Bruchollerie, and in 1969 he won the piano First Prize. As well as piano, Katsaris also studied chamber music with René Leroy and Jean Hubeau
Jean Hubeau
Jean Hubeau was a French pianist, composer and pedagogue.- Biography :Admitted at the age of 9 years to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, he studied composition with Paul Dukas, piano with Lazare Lévy, harmony with Jean Gallon, and counterpoint with Noël Gallon...
, and he won First Prize for this in 1970.
Katsaris gave his first public concert in Paris, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
on 8 May 1966. He performed the Hungarian Fantasy
Hungarian Fantasy (Liszt)
The Hungarian Fantasy for piano and orchestra is an arrangement of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 written by Franz Liszt in 1852...
by 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...
, with the Orchestre Symphonique d'Ile-de-France conducted by René-Pierre Chouteau. Since then he has carried on to perform with many orchestras and conductors.
Katsaris has recorded the complete Liszt transcriptions of 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...
's nine symphonies, reissued by Warner Classics in 2006. He has also recorded the music of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
, Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
, and other composers, including the rare piano version of Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde is a large-scale work for two vocal soloists and orchestra by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler...
with Brigitte Fassbaender
Brigitte Fassbaender
Brigitte Fassbaender , is a mezzo-soprano opera singer, a stage director and since 1997 Intendant of the Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck, Austria...
and Thomas Moser.
In 2011 Katsaris created his own recording label, Piano 21.
Awards
- 1970 : Albert Roussel Foundation Prize (ParisParisParis 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...
). - 1972 : Prize-winner at the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International CompetitionQueen Elisabeth Music CompetitionThe Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, a founding member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions has been, since its foundation, considered the world over to be one of the most prestigious and most difficult. It is devoted to violin , piano , to composition and to singing...
. - 1972 : The Alex de Vries Foundation Prize (Antwerp).
- 1974 : First Prize in the International Cziffra Competition (VersaillesVersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
). - 1977 : First Prize in the International Young Interpreters Rostrum-UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
). - 1977 : Knight of Merit of CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. - 1997 : UNESCO Artist for PeaceUNESCO Artist for PeaceUNESCO Artists for Peace are international celebrity advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This category of advocate is intended to heighten public awareness in addition to the categories UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, UNESCO Special Envoy and UNESCO Champion for Sport...
. - 2000 : Knight of the Order of Arts and LettersOrdre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). - 2001 : Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris (ParisParisParis 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...
). - 2009 : Commander of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of LuxembourgOrder of Merit of the Grand Duchy of LuxembourgThe Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a distinguished honorary order of Luxembourg. It was instituted on January 23, 1961 by Grand Duchess Charlotte. Grandmaster of the order is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
. - 2011 : Nemitsas Prize (CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
).
Discography
Comprehensive discography of recordings under the label Piano 21 :- KR 622 : Allegro. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- P21 001 : Beethoven • The Creatures of Prometheus, op. 43
- P21 003 • (2 CD) : In Memoriam Chopin 150th Anniversary • Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City
- P21 004 : Sergei Bortkiewicz • Piano Works
- P21 007 : Bach Recital • Vol. 1 • Original Works
- P21 009-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 1
- P21 010-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 2
- P21 011-N : Live at Festival International d’Echternach (Luxembourg) • 7 July 1979 • A Film by Claude Chabrol
- P21 012-N : Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City • In Memoriam Chopin • 17 October 1999
- P21 013 : Bach & Sons • 5 Piano Concertos
- P21 014-A : Beethoven • Concerto No. 3 op. 37 • Sonatas Nos. 31 & 12
- P21 015 : A Tribute to Cyprus
- P21 016-A : Schumann • Vol. 1 • Live Recordings
- P21 017-N : Bach • Vol. 2 • Transcriptions
- P21 018 : Mozart Transcriptions
- P21 019 : The Mozart Family
- P21 020-A • (2 CD) : Russian Music • Vol. 1
- P21 021-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 3
- P21 022-A : Liszt • Vol. 10 Liszt I • The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
- P21 023-A • (2 CD) : Scriabin • Vol. 19 • The Complete Dances
- P21 024-A • (2 CD) : French Music • Vol. 2 • De Louis XIII à Boulez
- P21 025-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 4
- P21 026-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 5
- P21 027-A • (2 CD) : Mikis Theodorakis • Vol. 20 Theodorakis • Works for piano & orchestra
- P21 028-A : Grieg • Vol. 18 • Concerto & Piano Works
- P21 029-A : Live at International Tchaikovsky Competition • Vol. 21 • Moscow 1970
- P21 030-N : Piano Rarities • Vol. 1 • Transcriptions
- P21 031-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 6
- P21 032-N : Album d’un Voyageur • Vol. 1 • EUROPE
- P21 033-N • (2 CD) : Viennese Connections • Beethoven • Schubert Hüttenbrenner • Diabelli • Liszt
- P21 034-N : Live in Shanghai • 4 October 2005 • The International Piano Festival of Shanghai Conservatory of Music
- P21 035-N : Live in Shanghai • 2 October 2007 • The International Piano Festival of Shanghai Conservatory of Music
- P21 036-A : Cyprien Katsaris Archives • Vol. 16 • Schumann II
- P21 038-N : Chopin, Concerto n° 2 en fa mineur, op. 21 | les 4 versions
- P21 039-N : The Complete Mozart Piano Concertos • Vol. 7
- P21 041-N : Katsaris plays Liszt • Vol. 1
- P21 042-A : Cyprien Katsaris Archives • Vol. 8 • Schubert
External links
- (mul) Cyprien Katsaris Official Website www.cyprienkatsaris.net
- (en) Biography in english www.allmusic.com
- (mul) Biography in english on Schott Music' musical editions website www.schott-music.com