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The Israeli pianist and conductor, David Greilsammer, started his piano studies at the Rubin Conservatory in his native city, Jerusalem. After studying in Florence and Paris, he came back to Israel to study with pianist and conductor Yahli Wagman. After completing his military service in Israel, he entered The Juilliard School in New York as a student of Yoheved Kaplinsky. Following studies at Juilliard, he went on to work with Richard Goode. Greilsammer is the recipient of the Safran Foundation Award and the Tabor Foundation Grant.
Music Director of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Suedama Ensemble in New York, David Greilsammer is recognized today as one of the most fascinating, audacious, and visionary artists of his generation. Pianist, conductor, chamber musician, and creator of many ground-breaking programmes and musical projects, Greilsammer has been hailed by audiences for his imaginative performances and innovative approach to music. After winning the “Young Musician of the Year” prize at the French Music Awards in 2008, Greilsammer amazed the public and press when performing the complete W.A. Mozart's Sonatas in a one-day marathon in Paris. He then again performed all of W.A. Mozart's Sonatas at the Verbier Festival again in Winterthur, and will perform them throughout Europe in 2010-2011 season.
In 2009-2010 season, David Greilsammer appeared with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France at Salle Pleyel in Paris, performing Nadia Boulanger’s Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, a work that had been forgotten since it was composed in 1912. This unique concert was recorded for an upcoming release, which will be the world-premiere recording of this work. In addition to his recent performances in some of the world’s most important festivals, Greilsammer has appeared this season at Lincoln Center in New York in a singular programme called “Gates”, a performance that was described by the NY Times as “riveting” and “exquisite”. Other recent engagements include concerts at Wigmore Hall in London, Forbidden City Theatre in Beijing, Minatomirai Hall in Yokohama, Escurial in Madrid, the Belem Arts Center in Lisbon, and the Verdi Opera House in Trieste.
Highlights of the 2010-2011 season include debuts with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra performing W.A. Mozart's early piano concertos, with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra at the Mozartwoche, and with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at Suntory Hall. He also performs with the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland, joins a Frédéric Chopin/Robert Schumann celebration at the Antalya Piano Festival in Turkey, and continues to build strong links with the major orchestras of France, where he resides. As a conductor, David appears throughout the season with the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, in wide variety of eclectic programs ranging from works of the renaissance to world-premieres. In his inaugural year with the orchestra, David has introduced new initiatives including new series of chamber music and education concerts. In addition, he appears this season as guest director with the Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino and the Israel Chamber Orchestra in Tel Aviv.
As a recitalist, David appeared last season at the Lincoln Center in New York in an inspiring programme named “Gates”, a performance described by the New York Times as “riveting” and “exquisite”. He also gave a highly successful recital at London’s Wigmore Hall, and begins the current season with a performance at London’s Kings Place, alternating John Cage’s Sonatas for prepared piano with Scarlatti’s Sonatas for the harpsichord. Following this, David gives a W.A. Mozart/Cage recital performance for the Musashino Foundation in Tokyo.
A diverse and fascinating artist, David Greilsammer has appeared in a vast variety of captivating and unusual works, such as Erwin Schulhoff’s Second Piano Concerto, tragically neglected since the composer’s death in a Nazi concentration camp in 1942. Next season, Greilsammer performs in London a new recital programme mixing John Cage’s Sonatas for the “prepared piano” with Scarlatti’s Sonatas for the harpsichord. He also continues touring with the programme of his recent solo recording “fantaisie_fantasme”, exploring the idea of fantasy through the works of eight different composers. Other outstanding projects include a concert as pianist and conductor in New York featuring the world premiere of Jonathan Keren’s Triple Concerto, a fascinating new piece based on mystical texts by six writers. Greilsammer appears frequently with Jazz pianist Yaron Herman in an original two-piano programme called “The Mozart Improvisations”, and performs on tour with Jazz and Klezmer clarinettist David Krakauer.
David Greilsammer’s debut recording of W.A. Mozart’s early piano concertos in 2006, conducted from the keyboard, quickly became a sensation among critics and was awarded by the Daily Telegraph as one of the “Records of the Year”. This success was immediately followed by an exclusive contract with Naïve Records and a first solo recording, named “fantaisie_fantasme”. This album, with its intriguing program in mirror form, received the praises of the New York Times and was selected by The Sunday Times as one of the “2007 Records of the Year”, in addition to being awarded many international recording prizes. Greilsammer’s new recording of W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 22 and 24 as conductor and pianist with the Suedama Ensemble was released this season, receiving the praises of the NY Times and the Daily Telegraph. David’s success has recently gained him an exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical, of which the first recording - to mix Baroque and contemporary works for solo piano - will be released in early 2012. |
