Hüseyin Sermet

Pianist, composer, and pedagog, Turkish-born Hüseyin Sermet is an artist at the peak of his powers; his extensive repertoire, refined over the course of a distinguished thirty-year career, reflects his wide ranging musical interests and pianistic versatility. He has performed and recorded with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Semyon Bychkov, David Robertson, Lorin Maazel, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Maria João Pires; and has worked with orchestras such as the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra amongst many others. His compositions include Réminiscence which was premiered at the Empéri Festival in 1997 and broadcast live by France Musique, Dream and Nightmare (2004) commissioned by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Sculptures (2006) commissioned by İş Bank. Hüseyin Sermet has made a number of recordings for Naïve, Harmonia Mundi and Erato. Awardwinning discs include his first volume of Ravel solo piano works, three discs devoted to Alkan (all winning a Diapason d’Or), a traversal of Schubert’s works for four hands with Maria João Pires, and the Liszt Sonata and late works (both Choc du Monde de la Musique). Educated at the Ankara State Conservatoire, the Paris Conservatoire (where he studied with Thierry de Brunhoff, Olivier Messiaen, and Nadia Boulanger), and in London (studying with Maria Curcio); Sermet has won prizes at the Maurice Ravel, Palma de Mallorca Chopin, Ettore Pozzoli, Francesco Paola Neglia, Queen Elizabeth and Geza Anda piano competitions. Other honours included prizes at the Munich and Paris chamber music competitions, the Lili Boulanger composition competition award for his String Quartet, honorary doctorates by Boğaziçi and Marmara universities, and the title of State Artist bestowed by the Turkish Government.

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