Mark Gasser
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| Mark Gasser | |
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 Mark Gasser at a recording session in Newcastle NSW in March 2007.
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 6, 1972  Sheffield, England United Kingdom |
| Genre(s) | Baroque, Classical, Romantic 20th century Contemporary |
| Occupation(s) | Virtuoso Pianist, Pedagogue |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
Mark Gasser (born 1972 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire)[1] is a British concert pianist.
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[edit] Career
Gasser went to the Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Academy of Music and is a Fellow of both. He studied under John Humphreys, Frank Wibaut, Alfred Brendel and Peter Donohoe.[2][3]
He plays both large scale standard piano literature as well as broadcasting and recording on five continents. He is recognized as having a dramatic affinity for the Viennese Classics (Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert in particular) as well as Ferruccio Busoni & Rachmaninoff and, perhaps, most notably, the French Impressionists Debussy and Ravel. His repertoire is vast, ranging from the Goldberg Variations of Johann Sebastian Bach to the (complete) Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus[4] of Olivier Messiaen. As a chamber musician he has performed in all the major Chamber Music Festivals across the USA, Europe and Australia[5][6] and has toured with his friend the virtuoso cellist Mats Lidström. He has also, surprisingly, worked with many contemporary popular artists such as P!nk, Jarvis Cocker and Björk. His concerto repertoire alone includes over 70 different works from Bach to the present day. Gasser is also closely associated with many contemporary composers, and has premiered or recorded many compositions by living and 20th century composers, including: Alfred Schnittke, Ross Edwards (composer),[7] Constant Lambert, Benjamin Britten, Henry Cowell, Toru Takemitsu, George Crumb,[8] James McMillan, Alistair Zaldua, Michael Tippet, John Webb, James Dillon, Phillip Whilby, Richard Barrett, Aldo Clementi, Mike Vaughan, John Cage, Luigi Dallapiccola, John Adams, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Olivier Messiaen,[9] Luigi Nono, Edgard Varèse, Judith Bingham, Pierre Boulez, Frank Zappa, György Ligeti and Ronald Stevenson. Of the latter he performed Stevenson's monumental Passacaglia on DSCH[10][11] at Carnegie Hall[12][13] as a charity concert shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center to raise money for the rescue workers families lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Gasser was a founder member of the Thallein Ensemble and has performed in many of the world's leading concert halls, music festivals and has been a soloist with the leading Symphony Orchestras worldwide. He was "Bösendorfer Artist of the Year" In 2002 and has, in recent years, performed a great deal on the Australian made Stuart and Sons pianos. [14][15]
[edit] Pedagogy
He is currently Head of Keyboard Studies at the Central Queensland University in Australia and divides his time between teaching and touring.
As a pedagogue, Gasser has taught / given masterclasses at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music AU, Christ's Hospital UK, Newcastle University AU, Hale School AU, Birmingham Conservatoire UK, Juilliard School USA, University of Oxford UK, Australian National Academy of Music, AU Purcell School UK, Royal Holloway University UK, The King's School, Canterbury UK, Trinity College of Music UK, University of Cambridge UK, Darmstadt DE, Central Queensland University,AU Newcastle Grammar School AU, City University of New York USA and the Conservatoire de Paris FR.
[edit] References
- ^ "Over 200 Famous or Infamous People and Characters with Local Connections who have Contributed to Sheffield's fame and fortune" .pdf. www.sheffield.gov.uk.. www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ staff member page of Mark Gasser. CQCM official website. Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Gasser studied with John Humphreys at the Birmingham Conservatoire and graduated with the highest marks in the institute's history - and also with Peter Donohoe whilst he was there as he is the President of the Conservatoire. Humphreys introduced him to Frank Wibaut whom he studied with for 5 years - at the Royal Academy of Music and later Alfred Brendel.
- ^ Howard Mellifluous; Gasser Expert Pianist (Clive O'Connell August 12, 2003. Melbourne AGE. Fairfax Media. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ [http://www.abc.net.au/classic/daily/stories/s1816168.htm One of Gasser's Many Broadcasts from the AFCM on the ABC - Brahms Piano Quartet No 3 in C minor, Op 60 - Mark Gasser, p; Caroline Henbest, va; Peter Rejto, vc; Ian Swensen]. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Australian Festival of Chamber Music. AFCM official website. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Ross Edwards "The Water Circle" World Premier - Peter Garrett, n; Alexandre Oguey, ca; Riley Lee, shakuhachi; Mark Gasser, p; Catherine Hewgill, vc; Marshall McGuire, h; Ian Brunskill, Claire Edwardes, per 19'36. ABC Classic FM. ABC Classic FM. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ SUNSHINE AND STARS. "Music and Vision". Music and Vision (Copyright © 8 July 2006 Malcolm Tattersall, Townsville, Australia). Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
- ^ Bravo Series Reviewer Clive O'Connell March 1, 2004. Melbourne AGE. Fairfax Media. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ "The Meaning of Life in 80 Minutes" Interview about Gasser's performance of Passacaglia on DSCH at the Wigmore Hall, London. The INDEPENDENT. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Concert / Recording Review Gasser Passacaglia on DSCH Simon Jenner. Classical Music on the Web. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Gasser at Carnegie Hall. The sister City program of the City of New York, INC Official Website'. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ Gasser Hits High Note at Carnegie Hall, article / Interview Telegraph Newspaper ARTS News) October 26th 2001.
- ^ "CSYO OFFICIAL SITE " Bosendorfer flew a piano especially for a performance of Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 from Vienna to Sheffield.". CSYO. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
- ^ "Stuart and Sons Official website with list of performers". Stuart & Sons. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- International Piano Quarterly, March 2004. "Mark Gasser" p24-28
- Ronald Stevenson: The Man and His Music p129, 210. A Symposium edited Colin Scott-Sutherland, Forward Lord Menuhin. — Toccata Press ISBN 0-907689-40-X Tells how Gasser is closely associated with Ronald Stevenson and has performed / premiered many works & is one of only 5 pianists to ever have performed the composer's Magnum Opus: - the 80 minute Passacaglia on DSCH.
