Till Fellner

Till Fellner gained international recognition when he captured first prize at the 1993 Clara Haskil Competition in Vevey, Switzerland. Since then he has steadily developed a loyal following across the globe, both from his critically acclaimed concerts and his dozen or so recordings of repertory ranging from Bach to Birtwistle. It is perhaps the music by composers falling in between this iconic pair that has drawn the most attention for Fellner, particularly performances of the complete Beethoven sonatas presented in a multi-concert, multi-city format, as well as music by Schubert, Schumann, and Schoenberg. Fellner has also demonstrated an interest in neglected repertory, as evidenced by his performances and recording of the piano sonata by mid-19th century composer Julius Reubke. Fellner has played at the major concert venues in Vienna, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, Boston, and elsewhere, and has collaborated with such conductors as Abbado, Marriner, Nagano, Ashkenazy, Slatkin, Masur, Segal, and others. Fellner has recorded for EMI, Erato, Philips, ECM, Avi, and Apex. Till Fellner was born in Vienna, Austria, on March 9, 1972. He studied at the Vienna State Conservatory with Helene Sedo-Stadler. He had later studies with such luminaries as Alfred Brendel and Oleg Maisenberg. Fellner began making headway even before his victory in the 1993 Clara Haskil Competition: his first recording, for EMI, was released the year before and contained an interesting mixture of works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Schoenberg. After his competition success, Fellner launched his international career and over the next several years would debut in New York and major capitals throughout Europe. While Fellner was receiving much attention for his Bach and Beethoven, he was drawing notice for his Mozart, as well: in 1998 he received the prestigious Mozart Medal from the Vienna Mozart Society. By the turn of the century Fellner had a half-dozen or so major recordings to his credit and regularly made tours abroad. He also appeared in chamber music concerts, collaborating with such artists as cellist Heinrich Schiff and joining in a trio with violinist Lisa Batiashvili and cellist Adrian Brendel. In 2004 ECM released Fellner's recording of the Bach Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, to great acclaim. In spring and fall 2008, Fellner performed and recorded the five Beethoven concertos with Kent Nagano and the Montréal Symphony Orchestra. Fellner was also engaged in live performances of the complete Beethoven sonata cycle in various cities, from 2008.

Albums

8 albums sorted by Most acclaimed

Till Fellner In Concert (Liszt, Beethoven)

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In Concert (Liszt, Beethoven)

Till Fellner

Solo Piano - Released November 2, 2018 | ECM New Series

Booklet Distinctions Gramophone Editor's Choice - Choc de Classica

Till Fellner Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier I

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Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier I

Till Fellner

Classical - Released January 26, 2004 | ECM New Series

Youthful Viennese pianist Till Fellner has performed J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier to critical acclaim across Europe, and has made it the backbone of his recital repertoire. For this recording of Book I, Fellner performs the 24 preludes and fugues with a rich and full sound, yet with the refinement and fastidious control required in these comprehensive studies of Baroque keyboard technique. Articulation and balanced phrasing are of paramount importance, and Fellner's energies are directed to the clean execution of lines and the careful shading of contrapuntal voicings. What emotion he communicates is subtle and somewhat constrained to the contrasting characters of each pairing -- the preludes and fugues often play off each other -- yet his interpretations are quite colorful and varied over the course of the set. Neither cerebral nor effusive, Fellner renders the music in an appealing middle area between schools of interpretation, and achieves imaginative results that should please both traditionalists and fans of period practice. While some may find his tempi too brisk for comfort, and others may deem his pedaling to be excessive, these seem to be minor concerns since Fellner's performance is enjoyable as a whole. ECM's sound is well-balanced and full, and the recording is close enough to the piano without being intrusive.