Stephen Hough

With an artistic vision that transcends fashions and trends, Stephen Hough is widely regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation. In recognition of his achievements, he has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, joining prominent scientists, writers and others who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.

Hough has appeared with most of the major European and American orchestras and plays recitals regularly in the major halls and concert series around the world. He is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Tanglewood, Edinburgh and the BBC Proms where he has made over twenty concerto appearances. In 2010 he was named winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist Award.

Recent and future highlights include performances with the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic orchestras; the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony orchestras; The Cleveland and Russian National orchestras, and a worldwide televised performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle; as well as recitals at Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Festival Hall. In the 2011/12 season, Hough is Artist-in-Residence at Wigmore Hall.

Hough’s catalogue of over 50 CDs has garnered four Grammy nominations and eight Gramophone Awards, including two ‘Record of the Year’ and the ‘Gold Disc’ Award. Following his critically-acclaimed recording of Chopin's complete Waltzes in 2011, Hyperion released a disc of the Liszt and Grieg Piano Concertos in 2011, coinciding with the release of an all-Hough compositions disc by BIS Records.

As a composer Hough offered the first performance of his own Sonata for Piano (broken branches) at Wigmore Hall in 2011, and the world première of his Missa Mirabilis, commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, took place in 2012. Hough has also been commissioned by musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker, London’s National Gallery, and Westminster Abbey. He is an avid writer, having written for The Guardian, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph, where he has one of the most popular cultural blogs. In 2009, The Economist and Intelligent Life magazines named Hough as one of 20 living polymaths.