Marc-André Hamelin

Grammy nominated pianist, composer and music teacher Marc-André Hamelin was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on September 5, 1961. He began learning the piano at the age of five and became interested in lesser-known composers during his studies. He then continued studying at the École de musique Vincent-d’Indy in Montreal before attending Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he earned his master’s degree in 1985. After winning the Virginia Parker Prize - a Canadian award given to young classical musicians – he came to international prominence and performed as a soloist all around the world. His recording career began with albums such as Godowsky: Original Works and Transcriptions (1988), Ives: ‘Concord’ Sonata - Wright: Sonata (1989), and Eckhardt-Gramatte: The Six Piano Sonatas (1991). Marc-André Hamelin became known for tackling complicated works and continuing his dedication to lesser-known composers including Bolcom, Sorabji, Eckhardt-Gramatté, Wright, Henselt, Grainger, Roslavets, Medtner, Rzewski, Catoire, Kapustin, and others. Signing with the Hyperion label in 1994, he released acclaimed albums such as Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas (1996), The Composers-Pianists (1998), Kaleidoscope (2001) and In a State of Jazz (2008). Although he normally performed works by other composers, he made his debut as a composer himself on the 2010 album 12 Études. Further albums include the Juno Award-winning Liszt: Piano Sonata (2011), Liszt: Piano Sonata (2013), Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 2 - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (2017), Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor, FWV 7 (2020), Bolcom: The Complete Rags (2022), and Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles (2023), which was a commercial success, reaching number 7 on the UK Classical Music Albums chart. Acknowledged with accolades, honors, and awards during his career, some of the highlights include winning the Carnegie Hall International Competition for American Music (1985), seven Juno Awards, and 11 Grammy Award nominations. Marc-André Hamelin was made and Officer of the Order of Canada and a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Québec.

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