Having been dubbed “The American Mozart” in the Spanish press for his skills as both a pianist and composer, and labeled “a genius” by Italian music critics, seventeen year-old Young Steinway Artist Thomas Nickell is rapidly garnering praise for his strong interpretations and insightful readings of some of the piano’s most demanding literature.
Living and going to school in New York, he already boasts nearly a dozen Carnegie Hall performances, two international commissions, and a three-continent tour last year that took him to Italy, Japan, and cities throughout the United States.
Continuing to distinguish himself as one of the rising stars of his generation, audiences and critics alike credit him with not only an energetic and refined musical presence, but also a sensitivity and ability to interpret that extends well beyond his years. A student of Thomas Osuga, he is also coaching with Steinway Artist Cosmo Buono, who describes him as having “a keen understanding of the instrument’s possibilities.”
Nickell made orchestral debuts earlier this year with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago under the baton of Mina Zikri in a performance of Liszt’s Totentanz, and Poland’s Sinfonia Viva with conductor Tomasz Radziwonowicz in two Bach concerti. His Warsaw solo recital debut was held at the famous Bristol Hotel, built by the great pianist Ignacy Paderewski, and was attended by diplomats from more than fifteen countries, in addition to being broadcast live around the world.
As a composer, Nickell has had his works performed in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Upcoming appearances include a summer concert tour of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, a return to Carnegie Hall, and a solo recital at New York’s famed Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium.
PERFORMANCE IN ITALY
Lunedi 21 Marzo 2016
Casa Museo Barezzi
via Roma, 119 – 43011 Busseto (PR)
Martedì 22 Marzo 2016
Conservatorio di Milano, Sala Puccini
via Conservatorio, 12 – 20121 Milano
Mercoledì 23 Marzo 2016
Teatro Sociale, Sala Bianca
via Vincenzo Bellini, 3 – 22100 Como
PROGRAM
I. Prelude & Fugue No. 9 in E-major, BWV 878
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
(Das Wohltemperierte Klavier)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
II. Sonata in C
Thomas Nickell (1998 – )
III. Tristan und Isolde, Isoldens Liebestod, S.447
Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)
Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)
IV. Three Preludes
I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
II. Andante con moto e poco rubato
III. Agitato
George Gershwin (1898 – 1937)
V. Sonata, Op. 1
Alban Berg (1885-1935)