Recording of the Week, Ingrid Fliter

The sensational Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter is probably new to most readers. I first heard her on the radio late last year and was completely blown away. Now, thankfully, I have the opportunity to devote an entire editorial to her as her first major CD release (of Chopin piano works) is out next Monday on EMI.

Ingrid Fliter

Her career is starting to take off dramatically since she received the 2006 Gilmore Artist Award, made every four years by an anonymous panel of judges who have assessed a number of pianists over a period of time without their knowledge. The recipient must not only be an exceptional pianist with great charisma but must also possess a broad and profound musicianship. “With a world of pianists to choose from,” commented the Gilmore’s Director Daniel R. Gustin, “we spent over two years listening to many greatly talented artists, but in the end we were unanimously swept away by Ingrid Fliter’s astonishing pianist prowess and her overall musicianship.” The two previous Gilmore Award winners were Leif Ove Andsnes (1998) and Piotr Anderszewski (2002). She is in distinguished company.

The music of Chopin runs deep in Ingrid Fliter’s veins. Her parents met over Chopin waltzes and Ingrid grew up listening to Arthur Rubinstein’s Chopin recordings. Today, she programmes the composer’s scores regularly in her recitals and is keen to emphasise that there is a lot more to his music than the “entertainer” composer which people frequently associate him with. In her recordings you hear this “darker side” as clearly you do his “joie de vivre” and the contrasts of tonal colours, dynamic range and lyricism are breathtaking.

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy her playing as much as I do. I’ve put a short video on the site for you to watch as well as her recording of the minute waltz to listen to, which displays beautifully her natural, yet imaginative style as well as her fabulous technique.