Marc-André Hamelin’s startlingly original blend of musicianship and virtuosity has earned him legendary status as a true avatar of the piano. Long known for his matchless exploration of unfamiliar pianistic terrain, Mr. Hamelin is now recognized worldwide for the originality and technical brilliance of his performances of the classic repertoire.

Mr. Hamelin began the summer of 2008 in Norway at the Risør Chamber Music Festival, where he performed a duo recital with pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, Schubert Lieder with bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, and music of Antheil with violinist Christian Tetzlaff, in addition to solo performances of works by Ornstein, Antheil, Ives and Ligeti. Other recitals included the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Baroniet Rosendal in Norway, the Ruhr Piano Festival in Bonn, Festival Chopin à Paris, the Cheltenham Festival, the Husum Piano Rarities Festival and the Busoni International Piano Competition. He also joined the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich for the epic Busoni Piano Concerto led by Marek Janowski. In North America Hamelin gave recitals at the Aspen Music Festival, the Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Festival International de Lanaudiere, Festival International Domaine Forget, and the International Keyboard Festival at Mannes Collge in New York City.

Mr. Hamelin’s exciting and diverse 2008/09 season includes a return to Wigmore Hall for the London Pianoforte Series and recitals in Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey. His North American recitals include the opening of the 126^th season of the Schubert Club in St. Paul, as well as recitals for the Columbus Chamber Music Society, Texas Tech, Cornell Concert Series, Music Toronto, Wheaton College, Harvard Musical Association, the Savannah Music Festival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Orchestral engagements include appearances with the Montreal, Saint Louis, Seattle, New Jersey and North Carolina Symphony orchestras with returns in Europe to the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Lahti Symphony.

In the late fall Mr. Hamelin embarked on a tour of Asia and Australia for concerts with the Singapore Symphony, the Malaysian Philharmonic and the Melbourne Symphony, finishing with a pair of recitals in Hong Kong.

Throughout the season Marc-André Hamelin and Takács String Quartet perform the Schumann Piano Quintet in North America at the University of Chicago, University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, Club Musical de Québec, Wake Forest University, Brown University, the Carlsen Center in Overland Park, Kansas, and in Europe in Bilbao, Pamplona, Bristol, and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

During March 2009 the Pro Musica Society of Montreal marked its 60^th anniversary season celebrating the art of Marc-André Hamelin. In a week of concerts Mr. Hamelin collaborated with violinist Lara St. John, the Leipzig String Quartet, soprano Karina Gauvin and Les Violins du Roy with Bernard Labadie, completing the festivities with a solo recital.

Under exclusive contract with Hyperion Records, Marc-André Hamelin has received 8 Grammy nominations including a 2009 nomination for Marc-André Hamelin in a state of jazz (CDA67656) released in May 2008. His latest release (January 2009), Chopin Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3, Two Nocturnes, Berceuse - Barcarolle (CDA67706), also received extraordinary critical acclaim. Mr. Hamelin has recorded over thirty-five CDs for Hyperion, including concertos by Alkan, Bernstein, Bolcom, Busoni, Korngold, Joseph Marx, Rubinstein, Scharwenka and Shostakovich, and works for solo piano by Alkan, Catoire, Grainger, Medtner, Reger, Roslavets and Rzewski, as well as brilliantly received performances of Haydn, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt and Albeniz.

Mr. Hamelin was recently presented with a rarely bestowed lifetime achievement prize by the German Record Critic’s Award (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik).

Marc-André Hamelin was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003 and a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec in 2004; he is also a member of the Royal Society of Canada. He makes his home in Boston.