Augustin Hadelich to Release Warner Classics Debut 1/12

Warner Classics has signed an exclusive recording contract with violinist Augustin Hadelich, with his label debut to be released on January 12, 2018. The signing comes as a natural progression for the 33-year-old virtuoso, who was chosen as laureate of the inaugural Warner Music Prize in 2015, and was recently crowned Musical America's 2018 Instrumentalist of the Year.

Hadelich's elegant yet impassioned musicianship evokes the violinists of the golden age of the early and mid-20th century. It is fitting, then, that his first album on Warner Classics presents the summit of the art and virtuosity of his instrument with Paganini's 24 Caprices, which he has recorded on the 1723 'Ex-Kiesewetter' Stradivarius violin.

"I am thrilled to make my first recording for Warner Classics," said Hadelich. "I have dreamed of recording these caprices ever since I first worked on them as a child. Paganini's music was a major part of my musical upbringing in Italy, and over the years I have often performed his caprices as encores."

"In Paganini's works, the technical fireworks always serve the music, not the other way around. As he explores different extended techniques and virtuosic acrobatics, he reveals himself to be a thoughtful and inspired composer," he added. "Many of the caprices are charming, funny, entertaining and thrilling, some are dramatic and passionate, and yet others serene and lyrical. Each caprice has its own quirky personality; some are my friends, but others are ferocious beasts to be tamed!"

Jean-Philippe Rolland, Executive Vice-President International A&R and Business Development of Warner Classics & Erato, said: "Augustin's sound is innately lush, expressive and recognizable. He is a self-reliant yet communicative artist who takes palpable pleasure in performing. These are unique qualities seldom found in a young violinist today, and Augustin has them all. We are delighted to embark on this journey with him."

ABOUT AUGUSTIN HADELICH: Augustin Hadelich has firmly established himself as one of the great violinists of today. He has performed with every major orchestra in the U.S., many on numerous occasions, as well as an ever-growing number of major orchestras in the UK, Europe, and the Far East. Showcasing a wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire, he is consistently cited for his phenomenal technique, poetic sensitivity, and gorgeous tone.
In Europe he has performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Danish National Symphony, Norwegian Radio, Helsinki Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orquestra de Cadaqués and the Radio Orchestras of Frankfurt, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart and Cologne. He was Artist-in-Residence with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the 2015-16 season and made his Proms debut in 2016.

Also an enthusiastic recitalist, Hadelich has performed at prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center in Washington, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Louvre (Paris), Kioi Hall (Tokyo) and at the Rheingau and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festivals.

Born in Italy, the son of German parents, Augustin Hadelich is now an American citizen. He holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Joel Smirnoff. His career took off when he was named Gold Medalist of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis - an event that has been described as the Olympics of the Violin. He went on to win an Avery Fisher grant in 2009, a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship in 2011 and a Grammy Award in 2016. He has been named Musical America's Instrumentalist of the Year for 2018. Augustin Hadelich plays the 1723 'Ex-Kiesewetter' Stradivari violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

To post a comment, you must register and login.