Taught by renowned instructor
Garrick Ohlsson
The only American to every win the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Garrick Ohlsson has amassed a discography as towering as his physical stature. From the complete works of Chopin and a GRAMMY Award-winning Beethoven Sonata cycle to his recent cycle of Brahms's complete solo piano works, Ohlsson knows the piano repertoire inside and out. In this pair of interviews from his home Bösendorfer, Ohlsson picks apart the intricacies of Chopin's character and sytle and reflects on his formative training with the likes of Rosina Lhevinne and Claudio Arrau. Hosted by tonebase Head of Piano, Ben Laude.
Garrick Ohlsson: The Formative Years
One of the towering figures of concert pianism, and one of the greatest living American pianists, Garrick Ohlsson is featured here in conversation at the piano for an intimate look back on his formative years.
Hosted by tonebase Head of Piano Ben Laude, the conversation starts on an oft-trodden topic: piano competitions. Ohlsson won several as a young man, most famously the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1970 – a competition to which he would return as a judge in 2015. Ohlsson then discusses his mammoth discography, reflecting on the experience of listening to his own recordings. For Ohlsson, piano is both a profession and a pleasure, and he shares his ideal morning routine at the instrument.
Like most great pianists, Ohlsson's artistry bears the imprint of his mentors. Ohlsson reminisces on two of them in particular, telling stories of playing Beethoven and Brahms for Rosina Lhevinne and Claudio Arrau.
Garrick Ohlsson on Chopin & Brahms
In this video, Ben Laude talks with the great Garrick Ohlsson at his home in San Francisco.
They attempt to answer the unanswerable question of whether Frédéric Chopin falls into the classical or romantic style. This leads them to discuss Chopin's connections to their favorite works and composers along the way.
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Unlock Course →Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess.
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