Anthony de Mare, Piano
“The adventurous pianist Anthony de Mare, a champion of contemporary music, merged his passion for Sondheim with his effort to expand the recital repertory… the resulting project required formidable virtuosity. Mr. de Mare’s playing was dynamic and stylish… I loved it.”
Fast Facts
Steinway Artist; Professor of Piano, Manhattan School of Music, New York University.
Inspired the creation of over 60 new works by some of today’s most distinguished artists including Steve Reich, Wynton Marsalis, Nico Muhly, Annie Gosfield, Fred Hersch, Ethan Iverson, Meredith Monk, Mason Bates and Andy Akiho.
First Prize and Audience Prize at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition (The Netherlands) and The International Contemporary Piano Competition of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France).
Photo Credit: Paolo Soriani
Anthony de Mare is one of the world’s foremost champions of contemporary music. His versatility has inspired the creation of over 60 new works by some of today’s most distinguished artists including Steve Reich, Wynton Marsalis, Nico Muhly, Annie Gosfield, Fred Hersch, Ethan Iverson, Meredith Monk, Mason Bates and Andy Akiho. Known for his entrepreneurial performance projects, he continues to expand the boundaries of the repertoire, which includes the speaking-singing pianist genre that he pioneered over 25 years ago with the premiere of Rzewski’s De Profundis.
Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Pianois a landmark commissioning and concert project that perfectly expresses his vision to expand both the repertoire and the audience for contemporary music. As creator, performer and co-producer, he has brought together composers, spanning multiple genres, to bring the work of Stephen Sondheim into the concert hall. His recordingfor ECM was cited on numerous “Best Of” lists in 2015. The Chicago Sun-Timesdeclared “that de Mare’s passion and vision almost radiate from the stage … he causes all involved—composers, performer and audience members—to think about how music is made and how we listen to it.”
In preparation for Sondheim’s 90th birthday in 2020, a select number of new composers have been commissioned for the Project, which will bring the total compendium to 50, accompanied by a national tour in celebration of this landmark.
The adaptability of his programming to traditional classical, jazz and theater spaces speaks to the range of de Mare’s versatility. His performances over the years span five continents and hisdiscography of over twenty recordings includes works by Ives, Cowell, & Harrison, Cage and Meredith Monk, Astor Piazzolla, Frederic Rzewski and many others.
In recent years, his performances have taken him to Australia (Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney), the London Jazz Festival at the Barbican, the Bari Piano Festival in Italy, the 21C Festival in Toronto, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Cal Performances (Berkeley), Virginia Tech Center for the Arts, SF Jazz, The Ravinia Festival, the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Monadnock Music Festival, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Schubert Club in Minneapolis, Mondavi Center at UC Davis, Rockport Music Festival, and the Cliburn Series in Fort Worth.
A brand new two-piano project with Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli entitled The American Explorer will launch in 2019.
Since his debut with Young Concert Artists, his accolades and awards have included First Prize and Audience Prize at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition (The Netherlands) and The International Contemporary Piano Competition of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France). He gave his Carnegie Hall debut at Zankel Hall in 2005.
A Steinway Artist, he currently is Professor of Piano at Manhattan School of Music and New York University. He also serves as new music curator for theSheen Center for Thought and Culture in NYC.