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NELSON FREIRE
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Pianist
Season 2013-2014
Biography
Steinway Piano
Audiofon, SONY Classical, London/Decca, Philips Classics, Teldec, and
Berlin Classics
PLEASE DESTROY ANY PREVIOUS BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS
R. DOUGLAS SHELDON, Senior Vice President
COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT LLC
(212) 841-9512 phone
(212) 841-9517 fax
04/14
NELSON FREIRE
Pianist
Born in Boa Esperança, a small town in the interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Nelson
Freire made his first public appearance at age five with Mozart’s Sonata in A major, K.
331 and had a street named after him at the age of ten. His family, impressed by the
precocious talent of their son, moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he continued his studies
under the guidance of two superlative teachers, Nise Obino and Lucia Branco. In 1957,
after winning the Rio de Janeiro International Piano Competition with his performance of
Beethoven's “Emperor” concerto, the President of Brazil presented him with a grant
which allowed him to study with Bruno Seidlhofer, teacher of Friedrich Gulda, in
Vienna. Seven years later, Freire won the Dinu Lipatti Medal in London, as well as first
prize at the International Vianna da Motta Competition in Lisbon.
His London début, at age 23, was praised by the press as sensational and The Times
called him “The young lion of the keyboard”. The following year, Time Magazine hailed
him as “One of the most exciting pianists of this or any age” after his performances with
the New York Philharmonic.
By the 1970s, Freire was a successful recording artist who would draw particular critical
acclaim for his Chopin. Soon he turned to piano duo repertory, often appearing and
recording with Martha Argerich. The team's first recording, Rachmaninov‘s Suite No. 2,
Op. 17, and Lutoslawski's Variations on a Theme of Paganini, was released on Philips.
Subsequent recordings of works by Bartók, Ravel, and others appeared over the next two
decades. Freire has also collaborated with violinist Gidon Kremer and cellist Mischa
Maisky and has recently scored critical successes in London at the BBC Proms, in Tokyo,
and on tour with Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Nelson Freire has since performed recitals and concerts in the most important cities and
halls in Europe, the United States, South and Central America, Japan and Israel and with
such prestigious orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Rotterdam
Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, London Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Czech
Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France as well as American Orchestras of
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York,
and Philadelphia.
He has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Eugene
Jochum, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Rudolf Kempe, Václav Neumann, Seiji Ozawa, and
more recently with Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Fabio Luisi, Hans Graf, André
Previn, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and David Zinman.
Nelson Freire has recorded for Sony/CBS, Teldec, DGG, IPAM, and London labels. In
1999, Philips released a CD of Nelson’s most coveted performances on their acclaimed
series, Great Pianists of the 20th Century, and his recording of Chopin’s 24 Préludes on
CBS received the “Prix Edison.” In October 2001 he signed an exclusive contract with
DECCA. His Chopin recording received the most prestigious prizes in 2002: Diapason
d’Or, Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros, Choc du Monde de la Musique, 10 by
Repertoire, Classica. He also recorded a second CD dedicated to Schumann, which was
released worldwide in the fall of 2003. Three of Mr. Freire’s recent releases on Decca
received Grammy nominations in 2006, 2007 and 2011 respectively: Chopin: Études, Op.
10, Barcarolle, Op. 60, Sonata No.2; Brahms, The Piano Concertos (recorded with the
Gewandhaus Orchester and Riccardo Chailly) and Chopin: The Nocturnes.
Mr. Freire is the recipient of the most prestigious decorations in Brazil, as well as the
Légion d'Honneur, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in France and also holds an
honorary doctorate of music from the Brazilian University. Fluent in several languages,
when Mr. Freire is not on tour, he returns to his home in Rio de Janeiro.