Weinstadt Artists Management S.P.R.L.U s1

weinstadt artists management – s.p.r.l.u. member of the european association of artists managers ABDEL RAHMAN EL BACHA

In June 1978, Abdel-Rahman El Bacha won the Concours Reine Elisabeth de Belgique by an unanimous judgment. He was also awarded the Audience Prize. He was only 19.

Born in Beirut, from a family of musicians, he started his piano studies in 1967 with Zvart Sarkissian, who had studied with Marguerite Long and Jacques Février. At the age of 10, he gave his first concert with orchestra. In 1973, Claudio Arrau predicted him a great career and, in 1974, he was offered a scholarship by France, the former USSR and Great Britain. He chose to go to France out of cultural affinity and entered the Conservatoire de Paris in Pierre Sancan’s class. He graduated with 4 First Prizes (piano, chamber music, harmony and counterpoint).

After the Queen Elisabeth competition which launched him on the international scene, he decided to bide his time in order to further broaden and master his repertoire. The music press started comparing him with the greatest pianists, stressing the exceptional qualities of his playing and his emotional power. From the Mozarteum of Salzburg to the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, from the Munich Herkulessaal to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, he performs all over Europe, as well as in Russia, Japan, North America, Latin America and the Middle East. His vast repertoire includes almost 60 concertos and focuses mainly on the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Prokofiev. He has performed with eminent conductors and prestigious orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the NHK Tokyo, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, as well as many others.

In 1983, his first recording, Early Works by Prokofiev (ed. Forlane) was awarded the "Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros". Mrs Prokofiev personally presented him the award. For the same label, he recorded 3 Concertos by Bach, Ravel’s 2 Concertos and works by Schumann, Ravel, Schubert and Rachmaninov. His integral recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, as well as his concert performances of these works, were heralded by the press as a "major event". The second CD of these Beethoven recordings, together with his Ravel recital CD, were awarded the "Grand Prix de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque Français." With his recording of Chopin’s Melodies with Ewa Podlès, he received the "Gerald Moore Prize" for best accompanist from the Académie du Disque Lyrique. He also recorded Chopin’s complete piano solo works (12 CDs) in chronological order.

In March 2002, he received a triumph in Nantes, with the performance of Chopin’s complete piano solo works over a period of six consecutive days. He renewed this experience in Avignon, at the La Roque d’Anthéron Festival, the Sintra Festival in Portugal and in Brussels. The 2 CDs of Chopin’s complete work for piano and orchestra were recorded with the Orchestre de Bretagne conducted by Stefan Sanderling. For Fuga Libera, he realised a live recording of Prokofiev's five piano concertos with Kazushi Ono and the Monnaie Orchestra of Brussels. His recording dedicated to Russian virtuoso piano music was released on the Triton label in June 2007, the Saint-Saëns 1st & 2nd piano Concertos with the Orchestre de Picardie & Pascal Verrot followed with Calliope. For Transart, he recorded with Antoine Pierlot and Olivier Charlier a Chopin CD with the Cello Sonata & the Trio. In 2011, a new Prokofiev recording was made for Mirare, including Toccata, 10 pieces op. 12, 2nd Piano Sonata, Sarcasms and Visions Fugitives. With Triton were recently released Ravel’s complete piano solo works, as well as Bach’s First Volume of the Wohltemperierte Klavier and soon to be released, Schubert's Eight Impromptus.

Abdel Rahman El Bacha, who was granted double French-Lebanese citizenship in 1981, is also a composer. He was made Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture in 1998 and was awarded the "Médaille de l’Ordre du Mérite"by the President of the Republic of Lebanon, the highest distinction of his native country. August 2012 populierenlaan 3/26 – 2020 antwerp – www.concerts-weinstadt.be tel : +32/3-216 70 60 - fax : +32/3-216 70 66 - e-mail : [email protected] licence nrs : B-00414-405 VG 1575/BA - vat : be 0435.501.195 – iban : be61 3100 4141 2117 – bic : BBRUBEBB weinstadt artists management – s.p.r.l.u. member of the european association of artists managers

populierenlaan 3/26 – 2020 antwerp – www.concerts-weinstadt.be tel : +32/3-216 70 60 - fax : +32/3-216 70 66 - e-mail : [email protected] licence nrs : B-00414-405 VG 1575/BA - vat : be 0435.501.195 – iban : be61 3100 4141 2117 – bic : BBRUBEBB