WISPELWEY, PIETER - violoncello

L. van Beethoven Sonata op.5 no.1 in F major;
Sonata op.5 no.2 in G minor;
Sonata op.69 in A major;
Sonata op.102 no.1 in C major;
Sonata op.102 no.2 in D major

Pieter Wispelwey received his early training from Dicky Boeke and Anner Bijlsma in Amsterdam, and continued his studies with Paul Katz in the USA and William Pleeth in England. His repertoire ranges from J.S. Bach to Carter, Kagel and Schnittke. He regularly plays the complete solo cello suites by Bach and Britten and the complete sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms in his many recitals, the latter with Paul Komen, and in the USA with Lois Shapiro, as his piano partners. He also performs frequently as a soloist with orchestras and has recently played concertos by Dvorak, Tchaikowsky, Shostakovich, Elgar, Haydn, Dutilleux and Schnittke. Pieter Wispelwey gave his debut performance in the recital hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in 1986 with a Beethoven recital. In March of 1992, he became the first cellist to be awarded the prestigious Nederlandse Muziekprijs Paul Komen made his debut at the age of thirteen, playing pieces by Bach and Scriabin for a radio recording. Later he studied at the Sweelinck Conservatorium under Jan Wijn. In 1980 he was a finalist to the International Tromp Piano Competition in Eindhoven and in 1981 he made his English debut at Wigmore Hall in London. In 1982, Paul Komen graduated with honours from the Sweelinck Conservatorium and received a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst to continue his studies with Professor Hans Leygraf in Hannover. In 1985, he concluded his studies there with honours as well. He made his debut in the previous year in the Main Hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. In 1986, he was awarded a scholarship by the Dutch government to study in the United States under Gyorgy Sandor in New York and under Gyorgy Sebok in Bloomington. In 1988, he was invited for two recitals at the International Piano Festival of La Rogue dAntheron in France. His debut in the United States took place in 1989 with recitals in New Yorks Carnegie Hall and in the National Gallery in Washington.

Awards: Recommende par Classica/
Audiophile: Best recording of 1992/
FFFF Telerama/

(...) with marvellous sensitivity in a noteworthy historic-instrument recording with pianist Paul Komen. (...) The Washington Post, February 1994