Kevin Kenner - Late Chopin Works - Import CD

Credits:

Kevin Kenner

Description:

A pianist born on May 19, 1963, in California, USA. He began playing the piano at an early age and studied under Krzysztof Buzza. He later studied under Leon Fleisher for five years at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He was a prize winner at the 1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 1990, he won the highest honor (second place, with no first place awarded) at the 12th International Chopin Piano Competition (the year Yukio Yokoyama made headlines by winning third place). That same year, he achieved other notable successes, including third place in the piano category at the 9th International Tchaikovsky Competition. Since then, he has made numerous recordings spanning a wide range of composers, including Chopin, Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven, and Piazzolla; in recent years, he was awarded the “Frederick Prize,” Poland’s highest honor in the chamber music category. He also has a deep understanding of pianos from Chopin’s era; his collection of Chopin’s solo piano works, recorded on the National Chopin Institute’s label using an 1848 Pleyel piano, received a five-star rating from the French magazine *Diapason*. He is also renowned as an educator; after serving as a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in the UK, he has been a professor at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music since 2015. In recent years, Kenner’s skills as an educator were once again recognized when, at the request of Song-Jin Cho—who was participating in the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition—he conducted intensive lessons immediately prior to the competition and successfully guided her to victory. Since 2011, following an enthusiastic invitation from violinist Kyung-hwa Chung, he has participated in world tours as her duo partner to mark her return to the stage after a 10-year hiatus. Hailed as “a pianism that radiates a beautiful, gentle, pearl-like luster” (The Telegraph, UK), his ensemble—which complements Kyung-hwa’s violin while maintaining its own distinct presence—has reaffirmed his sophisticated musical sensibility to audiences. Although he possesses exceptional technique, he is not the type to play with brash intensity; rather, he values delicate expression and tone, and is particularly renowned for his rich sensibility. This album opens with a barcarolle—a genre in which he excels—and weaves in mazurkas and nocturnes from Chopin’s later years, with the “Sonata No. 3” at its heart. He performs “Chopin’s mature works,” which he loves, to his heart’s content, carefully conveying the composer’s charm. Warner Music Japan

Tracklisting:

1.Barcarolle in F sharp, Op. 60
2.3 Mazurkas, Op. 63: No. 1: Mazurka in B
3.3 Mazurkas, Op. 63: No. 2: Mazurka in F minor
4.3 Mazurkas, Op. 63: No. 3: Mazurka in C sharp minor
5.Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro maestoso
6.Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
7.Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: III. Largo
8.Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale. Presto non tanto
9.Nocturne in E, Op. 62 No. 2
10.3 Mazurkas, Op. 56: No. 1: Mazurka in B
11.3 Mazurkas, Op. 56: No. 2: Mazurka in C
12.3 Mazurkas, Op. 56: No. 3: Mazurka in C minor
13.Mazurka in F minor, Op. posth. 68 No. 4