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The German accordionist, Stefan Hussong, started playing the accordion at age 5, he studied at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Trossingen in Germany, and later studied music theory (composition, orchestration, counterpoint, analysis along with the accordion at the University of Toronto. He received scholarships from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, Akademie Schloss Solitude and the Art Foundation of Baden-Württemberg State. 1983 he won 1st prize at the International Hugo Hermann Competition. In 1987 he was the first accordionist ever to receive the 1st prize at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition for contemporary Music in Holland. In 1989, he won the DAAD scholarship for research into traditional Japanese music at the Tokyo National University of the Arts. It was around this time that he began performing as a soloist.
Stefan Hussong is Europe's foremost accordionist. He has concretised throughout Europe and Asia and in the USA, earning praise such as, "a once-in-a-lifetime experience" (Keyboard) and, "a Stefan Hussong evening -- a highlight of Salzburg's summer music life" (Salzburger Nachrichten). He has performed as a soloist with, among others, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Musikfabrik Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Tokyo Shin Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Chamber Symphony, and the Tokyo Harmonia Chamber Orchestra. He appears often with violinist Irvine Arditti, cellists Julius Berger and Miklós Perényi. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary. He has premiered more than 80 works dedicated to him, collaborating with composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Toshio Hosokawa, Adriana Hölszky, Toshi Ichiyanagi, and Klaus Huber. He has also breathed new life into old works, ranging from baroque to tango music, and has also re-arranged works written for other instruments - among them harpsichord, organ, and piano -to produce a new style of accordion music.
Stefan Hussong has recorded more than 25 CD's, some of which have won several prizes, including critically acclaimed recordings of J.S. Bach. Said Fono Forum, "Bach on the accordion, phenomenal!" He was awarded the Echo Classic Prize of the German Phonoacademy in the category Best Performer of the Year 1999. The same year his critically acclaimed Piazzolla recording won the 1999 Echo award, and his Solo CD published by Denon with works by John Cage won the Best Record Award of the year. Among his other highly acclaimed CD's are: "Whose Song," a collection of 20th century works, "Tango Fantasy," with a broad range of works from Igor Stravinsky to Piazzolla, "Dream," with works by John Cage. His latest CD is "Le Grand Tango," featuring a joint performance with Tomoko Kato.
Stefan Hussong is also active as an educator, having taught young accordionists at the Sibelius Conservatory and the Mozarteum International Summer Music Academy in Salzburg. He is professor for Accordion and Chamber music at the Musikhochschule Würzburg. |
