RICHARD ORMROD, Piano

Biography

 British pianist Richard Ormrod made his first concerto appearance at the age of ten, playing Mozart. After youthful studies at the Welsh College of Music (Junior Department) and Wells Cathedral School, concentrating on piano, he chose to broaden his musicianship, earning an MA in musicology at King’s College, Cambridge University. With prizes in five major international competitions won along the way, at age 17 Ormrod spent the first of five summers as an artist-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival. Later, he accepted an invitation for several years postgraduate coaching with ElissoVirsaladze at the Moscow Conservatory.

 Mr. Ormrod, whose intellectual curiosity and philosophical probing informs his artistry, developed his career with a wide range of recital repertory--from Bach to Beethoven, Brahms and Schoenberg--performing for audiences throughout the United Kingdom, as well as in Austria, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, the United States, and Yugoslavia. He toured as concerto soloist with the Philharmonia Virtuosi in the Pacific Rim--from Los Angeles to Tokyo--in 1996 and made international tours with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in 1999, 2001 and 2003, as well as playing with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Northern Chamber Orchestra among others in the United Kingdom and United States. At the Beethoven gala on New Year’s Eve 2000 he made a first London Barbican Centre appearance, with the Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor David Parry. He was again the soloist for the Barbican Centre’s New Years Eve Beethoven gala in 2004. 

 Chamber music has been central to Richard Ormrod’s musical life and learning--from his early training through exploratory student days and professional development. Recently appointed permanent pianist with the Salzburg Hyperion Ensemble, he performed with these acclaimed artists at the San Jose Chamber Music Society and Yale University Chamber Music Society, among other stops on their November 2003 United States debut tour. A versatile musician, he joined the renowned Dorian Wind Quintet on US tours in 1997, 1999 and 2000, with engagements including New York City and the Louisville Chamber Music Society.

 Professor Stephen Walsh, former music critic of the London Observer has said, "He is one of the most literate pianists I know, in both the musical and more general senses." Audiences worldwide have increasing opportunities to hear Ormrod’s adroit interpretive talent. The BBC has broadcast his performances live, and, as the 1990 First-Prize winner, he was included in 2002 television documentary on the Texaco Young Musicians Competition. With a first CD recording (Schubert A Major Sonata, D. 959), other milestones include a formal Rudolfinum (Prague) debut with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in April 2001, broadcast to 38 countries, and recital debuts in Central America at the National Theater in Panama City in August 1999 and Los Angeles at the South Bay Center for the Arts in March 2004.

 Mr. Ormrod studied piano with Beate Popperwell, Michael Young, Rita Sloan, and Elisso Virsaladze and had additional coaching with Gyorgy Kurtag, Menahem Pressler, Ferenc Rados, Joseph Kalichstein and other noted artists. He lives in London and serves on the piano faculty of the University of Wales in Cardiff, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Trinity College in London.

Recent Press Notices

"THRILLING MOMENTS IN ROUSING BEETHOVEN [Headline]  David Parry was on the rostrum...launching the hushed phrases of the Adagio (Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5). The latter movement was sensitively done, with Ormrod spinning a beautifully weighted cantabile line. The Allegro outer movements were cool and classical, crisply articulated, unfussy, and projected with rhythmic verve."                                   -London Evening Standard

"IMPRESSIVE OPENING OF 70th SEASON (Headline). Maestro Jaffe and guest artist Richard Ormrod presented the concerto [Beethoven No. 5] with a refinement of nuance that served to reinforce the strength of its concept without losing the brilliance of its function as a display piece. Pianist Ormrod plays with a technique and musical maturity that approaches the supernatural for one so young. His articulation made every note absolutely distinct. His scales sounded as seamless as a violin's, and his extended trills were perfectly controlled in regularity and dynamics. More important, he played with musicality and communication."                                           - Stockton Record, California, United States  

"NORTHERN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (U.K). Rapidly acquiring a worldwide reputation through its string of Haydn and Mozart recordings, the NCO is now based in Salford. The NCO accompanied the gifted young pianist Richard Ormrod in a lively account of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14 (K449). He has a sense of humour and foxed everyone with a nonchalantly fake ending to his cadenza, wriggling away with an interrupted cadence. But his delivery of the solo part was masterly. The rondo finale was the highlight of the performance, done in superbly cheerful and tricksy style and lifting the whole to a new level." - Manchester Evening News, United Kingdom 

 "PROGRAM RINGS OUT IN HANDS OF [ORLANDO] PHILHARMONIC. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 got quite a final buildup. For most of this famously luxurious piece, soloist Richard Ormrod and the orchestra went for flow and smoothness. Ormrod played with nimbleness and a singing touch...as the end neared, Ormrod made Rachmaninoff's flourishes glitter."

"ORMROD COMES HOME. What stunning playing by Richard Ormrod. It displayed a remarkable unity between that unmistakable Russian technical discipline and an equally recognisable individual touch of sheer brilliance...he rightly made an orchestra of this second King of instruments in the Chopin - the vibrant contrasts within the two etudes and nocturnes were tremendously exciting and rightly romantically neurotic. We were thus totally prepared for the second half's sole work, Schumann's Sonata in F Sharp Minor. And surprised again by what Richard Ormrod can do. This was accomplished and impassioned playing par excellence. Here is a player of international stature in the making and this recital was a rare treat. - Western Mail, United Kingdom 

"ORMROD LIFTS OFF. Richard Ormrod went into orbit last Friday. In no more than 12 minutes, the lanky and serious youngster revealed a pilgrim's unquiet soul and a poet's wounded heart. With technical execution beyond question, this playing was plainly a search for the truth."
- Coast Weekly, Monterey, California, 

U.S."BRAHMS COMPLETELY UNDISTORTED ...it was clear to the listeners that they could completely entrust themselves to the abilities of the two musicians to present Brahms undistorted a full century on. The Welshman was perfectly equal to the demands of the composer and, thus, the three sonatas in perfect symbiosis. - Westfalenpost, Germany 

"The playing of pianist Richard Ormrod was limber. He proved himself a pianist of discretion and masterly control in every phrase." - Westfalishe Rundschau, Dortmund, Germany 

"CZECH ORCHESTRA, PIANIST EXCEL... The first movement was all genteel elegance, and Ormrod negotiated his part with clarity and evenness of tone. Ormrod's hands fairly floated above the passagework, rendering it with a graceful fluidity that would be difficult to surpass. The slow movement was impressive. It is hard to imagine a more sensitive reading of this movement, by soloist or orchestra... While the rhythmically vigorous performance of the dance-like finale quickly dispelled any sense of emotional ambiguity, Ormrod continued to demonstrate great subtlety of articulation as the movement came to a satisfying end." - Green Bay Press-Gazette, United States 

“ORCHESTRA PLAYS WITH AGILITY, PRECISION... "Following the usual lengthy introduction, Ormrod launched a performance of Mozartean elegance... Ormrod achieved a beautiful tone, musically shaped phrases, and scale passages mindful of a strand of perfectly shaped pearls. The final Presto was a brilliant exercise in technique while sacrificing none of the Mozartean grace and elegance. [Mozart A Major concerto with Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.] - Press Journal, Vero Beach, Florida, 

USA "CZECH ORCHESTRA WINDS UP N.M. DATES... The Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra with pianist Richard Ormrod winds up its New Mexico mini-circuit of its US tour tonight at Popejoy Hall. If you like your music intimate, animated and impeccible, don't miss it! Their playing is distinguished by something far beyond their dazzling technical ability and faultless unity. There is a quality of heart, one might even say soul, than binds the group. Sunday's performance flowed with an easy, restrained grace that at the same time had sinew and depth. The added bonus of the tour is the young Welsh pianist Richard Ormrod. - Albuquerque Journal, United States 

"WELSH PIANIST MORE THAN ENGAGING IN GUNTER THEATRE PERFORMANCE... The young Welsh pianist set out a formidable task for himself but revealed an admirable degree of endurance and creativity. Besides polished technique and fluent pianism, the program called for keen artistic judgment. Ormrod faced the challenge of discerning relationships within two seemingly diffuse works [Schumann F# minor Op 11; Schubert A Major D95] and then conveyed his insight to the audience." - Greenville News, South Carolina, U.S.A. 

"CONCERT UPLIFTING. If Thursday's performance was any indication, young Richard Ormrod is destined to join that illustrious group for renown performers. He led the orchestra [in Chopin's Concerto No. 1] with an expressive and emotional display of seemingly effortless virtuosity. Griffith and the orchestra not only stuck like glue to the expressive rubatos and stretchy tempi, but managed to follow the soloist's nuances as well. That elicited the first standing ovation of the evening."

A wide repertoire is offered with a particular emphasis on the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Schumann.