Ludwig van: Nicolas Namoradze: ‘Life Is Full Of Surprises’
“Life is full of surprises,” Nicolas Namoradze a.k.a. “Nico” says of his impressive win of the top prize at the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition. The triennial Calgary-based competition has helped launch international performance and recording careers for a galaxy of classical music stars.
After taking the bold move of stepping out of the limelight for four years before entering the competition, the then 26-year-old pianist dazzled with virtuosic technique, matched by unconventional repertoire. His program included a lengthier choice of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B♭ major, Op. 83 for the finals, and his own Etudes he described as “fearsomely challenging”.
BBC In Tune: Nicolas Namoradze
Sean Rafferty is joined by pianist Nicolas Namoradze ahead of the Southbank 'Inside Out' concert (3:34). Listen until November 19.
Pianist Magazine: Honens Piano Competition Commissions New Piano Concerto
Honens Piano Competition has commissioned a brand-new piece in memory of Canadian jazz pianist, mathematician, educator, and composer Bruce McKinnon.
The new work will be premiered in 2022 with additional performances across Canada and internationally anticipated for the 2022/23 season.
My Scena: Nicolas Namoradze, Breakthrough Artist Here to Stay
Born in Georgia but raised in Hungary, the pianist-composer Nicolas Namoradze launched his international career in 2018 when he became the winner of the Honens International Piano Competition. This Calgary-based contest offers one of the biggest prize packages in the world, and has been picking out top talent every three years since 1992. Namoradze, at 28, is the latest laureate, and he has already established himself as an artist who is here to stay.
International Piano: Nicolas Namoradze Review
I’m not often lost for words, but Nicolas Namoradze’s recital almost defeated me. I wasn’t expecting anything amazing: he’s won the Honens Competition in 2018 and this gig was his reward, but winning a comp is no guarantee of greatness. Yet from the opening phrase of Scriabin’s Black Mass Sonata he had me hooked: the notes had a honeyed grace, and the rest of the work unfolded in an opalescent glow, every bar touched with beauty. I’ve never heard this puzzling work make such persuasive sense.
BBC Music Magazine: April 2020 Editor Choice – Nicolas Namoradze
BBC Music Magazine Editor, Oliver Condy, recalls back to February, when Nicolas Namoradze, the winner of the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition, gave his Wigmore Hall prize recital - and a terrific programme it was, too.
WQXR Presents "20 For 20": Nicolas Namoradze Named an Artist To Watch
Today, WQXR proudly introduces their “20 for 20,” including pianist Nicolas Namoradze. From Afghanistan to Iceland, via South Korea, Bulgaria, and our very own New York City, these are 20 singers, instrumentalists, ensembles, and conductors who are redefining what classical music can be, and doing so in diverse and thrilling ways.
Calgary Herald: Honens Festival 2019 – Nicolas Namoradze dazzles on piano
Hot on the heels of the week-long Banff International String Quartet Competition comes the Honens Festival 2019, the September festival of piano-related events that takes place in the years between competitions. As is frequently the case, one of the main events is a solo concert by the winner of the previous competition, in this instance pianist Nicolas Namoradze, now a resident of the New York area.
Gramophone: One to Watch – Nicolas Namoradze
The Georgian pianist Nicolas Namoradze, the winner of the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, has already impressed pianists of rare knowledge and experience. Like the two Honens winners before him (Pavel Kolesnikov in 2012 and Luca Buratto in 2015), Namoradze will make his debut recording for Hyperion.