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Angela Hewitt

Angela Hewitt CC OBE (born 26 July 1958) is a Canadian classical pianist renowned for her interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach's keyboard works, as well as her broad repertoire encompassing composers from Mozart and Beethoven to French masters like Ravel and Messiaen.^[1]^[2] Born in Ottawa, Ontario, into a musical family—her father was the organist and choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral—Hewitt began piano lessons with her mother at age three and gave her first public performance at four.^[3] She studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1964 to 1973, earning a Bachelor of Music in performance from the University of Ottawa at age 18, and later trained in France with Jean-Paul Sévilla from 1973 to 1977.^[1] A prizewinner in numerous international competitions, Hewitt's career gained international prominence after winning the first Toronto International Bach Piano Competition in 1985, leading to debuts with major orchestras worldwide and a recording debut with Deutsche Grammophon. In the early 1990s, she began her long-term recording partnership with Hyperion Records.^[1]^[3] Over three decades, Hewitt completed a landmark project recording all of Bach's major keyboard works for Hyperion between the 1990s and 2005, earning acclaim as "the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time" from The Guardian and praise for her recordings as "one of the record glories of our age."^[2] Her discography extends to complete cycles of Beethoven's piano sonatas (completed in 2012 after 15 years) and Schumann's works, alongside explorations of French Baroque and 20th-century repertoire, with multiple award-winning releases; in 2025, she completed her cycle of Mozart's piano sonatas as her 50th album for Hyperion, following the launch of her Mozart Odyssey project performing the complete piano concertos in 2024.^[1]^[3]^[4] In 2005, she founded the Trasimeno Music Festival in Umbria, Italy, where she serves as artistic director, promoting chamber music and masterclasses.^[1] Hewitt has received numerous honors, including the Companion of the Order of Canada in 2015, Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2006, the City of Leipzig Bach Medal in 2020 for her lifelong dedication to Bach, the Governor General's Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in 2018, and the Wigmore Hall Medal in 2020.^[1]^[5]^[6] She holds honorary doctorates from several universities and supports music education initiatives, such as ORKIDSTRA in Ottawa, providing free lessons to underserved children.^[3] Residing in London since 1985, Hewitt continues to perform globally and advocate for classical music.^[1]

Early life and education

Family background and childhood

Angela Hewitt was born on 26 July 1958 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, into a deeply musical family. Her father, Godfrey Hewitt, was a Yorkshire native who served as choirmaster and organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa for 49 years, renowned for his interpretations of Bach's organ works.^[7] Her mother, also a pianist, had studied organ under Godfrey before becoming his wife; she taught music and English at a local high school and directed a girls' choir, fostering a home environment saturated with music.^[8] Hewitt's childhood was marked by an early and enthusiastic immersion in music. She began piano lessons with her mother at age three, often requesting daily sessions and playing toy instruments even before that milestone. The family routine included Sunday attendance at the cathedral, where she absorbed her father's performances of intricate organ pieces, particularly Bach's, which emphasized clarity and rhythmic vitality.^[9] Beyond piano, she took up violin at age six under Walter Prystawski, studied recorder with Wolfgang Grunsky, sang in her father's choir, and pursued classical ballet from age three with Nesta Toumine for nearly two decades, alongside highland dancing.^[3]^[7] By age nine, Hewitt had given her first recital at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, featuring Bach among other composers, a performance that highlighted her precocious talent. Her parents served as her initial teachers until around age six, instilling a foundational technique rooted in Bach's music, which they viewed as essential for piano development. Early recordings of Glenn Gould and Rosalyn Tureck further shaped her appreciation for Bach's keyboard works, while a harpsichord in her bedroom allowed experimentation with period sounds alongside the piano's expressive qualities.^[10]^[9]

Formal studies and early performances

Angela Hewitt began her piano studies at the age of three under the guidance of her mother, Marion Hewitt, a pianist and choir director, in their musical family home in Ottawa, Canada.^[11] By age four, she gave her first public performance, and at five, she won her initial scholarship, demonstrating early prodigious talent.^[12] As a young child, she also pursued supplementary training in violin with Walter Prystawski, recorder with Wolfgang Grunsky, and classical ballet with Nesta Toumine, broadening her artistic foundation in Ottawa.^[7] From 1964 to 1973, Hewitt undertook formal studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, commuting from Ottawa during this nine-year period, where she worked with teachers Earle Moss and Myrtle Guerrero.^[11] At age nine in 1967, she presented her first full-length recital at the Royal Conservatory, a significant milestone in her developing career.^[12] Following this intensive conservatory training, she enrolled at the University of Ottawa, earning a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance in 1977 under the tutelage of Jean-Paul Sévilla.^[11] Hewitt's early performances extended beyond recitals into competitive arenas starting in her mid-teens. At age seventeen in 1975, she participated in the Chopin Young Pianists’ Competition in Buffalo and the Bach Competition in Washington, D.C., where the required piece was the Goldberg Variations.^[11] The following year, she competed in the Bach Competition in Leipzig, followed by the Schumann Competition in Zwickau in 1977.^[11] In 1978, she secured first prize at the Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy, and in 1979, she earned third prize at the Casadesus Competition in Cleveland, now known as the Cleveland International Piano Competition.^[13] These events marked her growing presence on the international stage while still in her early twenties.^[14]

Career

Breakthrough and international recognition

Angela Hewitt's breakthrough came in 1985 when she won first prize at the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, held in memory of Glenn Gould to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's birth.^[15] The competition, which awarded a $15,000 prize, featured a distinguished jury including Olivier Messiaen, and Hewitt's victory marked a pivotal moment, propelling her from regional performances to global attention as a leading Bach interpreter.^[16] This triumph launched her international career, with immediate opportunities for recordings and debuts abroad.^[13] Following the win, Hewitt relocated from Paris—where she had lived since 1978—to London in 1985, establishing it as her base and facilitating her entry into the European classical music scene.^[12] As part of the competition prize, she recorded her debut album for Deutsche Grammophon in 1986, featuring Bach's Italian Concerto and other works, which received critical acclaim and broadened her visibility worldwide.^[17] That same year, she made her London debut at Wigmore Hall, a venue that would become central to her career, performing Bach's music to enthusiastic reviews and solidifying her reputation in the UK.^[18] Hewitt's international recognition grew rapidly through extensive touring and her pioneering recordings of Bach's keyboard works. In 1991, she began an exclusive partnership with Hyperion Records, embarking on a comprehensive survey of Bach's major compositions, including The Well-Tempered Clavier (completed in 1999), which earned widespread praise for its clarity, elegance, and scholarly depth.^[12] By the early 2000s, she had performed in over 60 countries, appearing with major orchestras such as the London Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic, and her Bach-focused repertoire became synonymous with her artistry, earning her accolades like the 2006 Gramophone Artist of the Year award.^[19] This period established Hewitt as one of the foremost pianists of her generation, particularly in Baroque interpretation.^[20]

Major projects and collaborations

Throughout her career, Angela Hewitt has undertaken several ambitious recording projects that highlight her interpretive depth across the classical repertoire. Her most extensive endeavor was a decade-long cycle for Hyperion Records, capturing all of Johann Sebastian Bach's major keyboard works, including the Well-Tempered Clavier, Partitas, English Suites, French Suites, and Goldberg Variations, which critics have hailed as a landmark achievement in Bach performance.^[21] This project, completed in 2005, solidified her reputation as a preeminent Bach interpreter. Following this, Hewitt recorded the complete Beethoven piano sonatas for Hyperion, a rare accomplishment among female pianists, spanning multiple volumes released over several years.^[12] More recently, she concluded her complete Mozart piano sonatas cycle with her 50th album for Hyperion in 2025, encompassing all 18 sonatas alongside related works like the Fantasia in C minor, K. 475.^[4]^[22] In 2024, Hewitt launched The Mozart Odyssey, a multi-year initiative to perform and record all 23 of Mozart's piano concertos worldwide, beginning with engagements alongside the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and continuing with partners such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra da Camera di Mantova under conductor Hannu Lintu.^[23]^[19] This project builds on her prior Mozart explorations and emphasizes live performances to capture the composer's operatic flair in concerto form.^[24] Hewitt's collaborations extend prominently to orchestral settings, where she frequently serves as a play-conductor—directing from the keyboard in works by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. She has led ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Strings, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Cameristi della Scala, and Tapiola Sinfonietta.^[19]^[25] Notable recent partnerships include her 2025 performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and a 2022 Bach program with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra featuring the Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055.^[26]^[27] In chamber music, Hewitt has forged significant partnerships, such as her 2019 Hyperion recording of Beethoven's complete cello sonatas with German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott, praised for its balanced dialogue and technical precision.^[28] She has also collaborated on recordings of works by composers like Schumann, Chopin, and Fauré, often integrating these into broader recital programs that blend solo and ensemble elements.^[21]

Trasimeno Music Festival

In 2005, Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt founded the Trasimeno Music Festival in the Umbria region of Italy, near Lake Trasimeno, inspired by the area's historic charm and her personal connection to a lakeside home close to Perugia.^[29]^[12] As the festival's artistic director, Hewitt curates the program and frequently performs, emphasizing chamber music, symphonic works, vocal performances, and instrumental pieces by established international artists alongside emerging talents.^[30]^[19] The event, held annually in late June or early July, has grown into a non-profit endeavor organized by the Trasimeno Music Festival Association, formally established in 2006 to promote global classical music culture without political or religious affiliations.^[30] The festival's inaugural edition took place in 2005, with subsequent years featuring concerts in atmospheric, historic venues around Lake Trasimeno, such as the Castle of the Knights of Malta in Magione, local churches, and theaters.^[29]^[30] These settings create an intimate, immersive experience, blending music with the region's cultural heritage and fostering collaborations among like-minded musicians.^[31] Programs often explore thematic connections, including Bach's works—a staple of Hewitt's repertoire—and contemporary interpretations, with past editions highlighting improvisations and cross-genre dialogues.^[32]^[33] By its 20th edition in 2025 (June 25 to July 3), the festival had attracted an international audience, featuring eight concerts with guests such as author Ian McEwan, cellist Giovanni Sollima, and the ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro.^[34]^[35] Hewitt's vision emphasizes education and community, incorporating masterclasses, conferences, and opportunities for young performers, ensuring the event's role in nurturing classical music's future while celebrating its traditions.^[30]^[36] The 21st edition is scheduled for June 24–30, 2026, continuing this legacy of artistic excellence in one of Italy's most evocative landscapes.^[37]^[38]

Musical style and repertoire

Bach interpretations

Angela Hewitt's interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach's keyboard works are renowned for their meticulous clarity, rhythmic vitality, and vocal-like expressiveness, shaped by her lifelong immersion in the composer's music. From childhood, exposed through her father's role as organist at Ottawa's Anglican Cathedral, Hewitt internalized Bach's organ repertoire, which informed her piano approach emphasizing structural transparency and polyphonic independence.^[9] She favors the modern piano for Bach, valuing its sustaining power and timbral variety to delineate voices, contrasting with the harpsichord's limitations, and draws on early influences like Glenn Gould's recordings to infuse her playing with fluidity and dance-like phrasing derived from her ballet training.^[9]^[39] Central to Hewitt's Bach oeuvre is her traversal of The Well-Tempered Clavier, which she has recorded twice—first in 1997 on a Steinway and again in 2007 on a Fazioli—along with a global tour spanning 21 countries over 14 months.^[39] Her interpretations evolve toward greater luminosity and dramatic contrast, as evident in her 2018 Vancouver Bach Festival performance of Book I, where she heightened tempo extremes, rhythmic drive, and celestial shading to weave a narrative continuity across the 24 preludes and fugues.^[40] Critics note her refined 2007 version's subtler coloration and structural clarity, transforming modest beginnings into spontaneous, athletic expressions that underscore Bach's forward-looking innovation.^[40] Hewitt's Goldberg Variations recordings highlight her joyous and Italianate style, evoking dual keyboards through pristine articulation and equal-voiced dialogue, as in her 2018 festival rendition that balanced fantasy with architectural poise.^[41] She approaches these variations with physicality and inner dance, phrasing them to reveal Bach's pedagogical intent for his children while unveiling profound spiritual depth.^[42] In her "Bach Odyssey" project (2016–2022), Hewitt integrated the Goldbergs into a comprehensive survey of Bach's keyboard works across 12 recitals worldwide, emphasizing their inexhaustible riches through bodily movement and narrative flow.^[42]^[43]^[44] A pinnacle of her Bach engagement is The Art of Fugue, which Hewitt initially avoided due to its instrumental ambiguity and contrapuntal density but ultimately recorded in 2013 (released 2014) following years of preparation and after undergoing major surgery in 2012.^[39] She interprets it as vocal music, assigning each line the timbre of a human voice, organ, or oboe, with 95% of her study devoted to fingering for vocal singing quality and character differentiation.^[45] This approach transforms the work's "terrifying magnificence" into an intimate yet grand dialogue, performed successfully for diverse audiences, including schoolchildren in Seoul, to evoke wonder and accessibility.^[39]^[45] Her rendition avoids period-instrument constraints, prioritizing personal exploration to illuminate Bach's labyrinthine genius.^[45]^[46]

Works by other composers

Angela Hewitt's repertoire extends far beyond Bach, encompassing a wide array of composers from the Baroque to the modern era, with a particular emphasis on the Austrian-German and French schools. She has recorded the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven across multiple volumes for Hyperion Records, offering interpretations noted for their structural clarity, refined legato, and sensitivity to the music's dramatic contrasts, as in her handling of the late sonatas Opp. 106 and 111, where silences and nuances enhance emotional depth.^[21]^[47] Her Beethoven performances also include the five piano concertos and cello sonatas, demonstrating a collaborative precision in chamber settings.^[48] In the realm of Mozart and other Classical composers, Hewitt performs 17 piano concertos, including Nos. 17 and 27, as well as numerous sonatas such as K. 545; she completed her recording of Mozart's complete piano sonatas in three volumes for Hyperion, with the final volume released in June 2025, and embarked on the "Mozart Odyssey" project in March 2024 to perform and record the complete piano concertos.^[48]^[49]^[19]^[50] She has also explored Haydn's sonatas, like Hob. XVI/32, and Handel's suites, blending historical awareness with modern expressiveness in recordings that celebrate the composers' anniversary years.^[48]^[51] Schumann features prominently in her programs, with recordings of the Piano Concerto Op. 54, Davidsbündlertänze, Kinderszenen, and Sonata No. 2, where her approach balances introspective lyricism with rhythmic vitality.^[21]^[52] Hewitt's engagement with Romantic composers includes Chopin's complete nocturnes and impromptus, as well as his concertos, delivered with a focus on poetic subtlety and structural poise, and Liszt's Sonata in B minor alongside his concertos, emphasizing dramatic flair without excess.^[53]^[48] She has also recorded Schubert's sonatas and impromptus, Brahms's Variations Op. 24 and Concerto No. 1, and Grieg's Concerto Op. 16, showcasing her versatility in lyrical and virtuosic demands.^[48] Her French repertoire is particularly acclaimed, with complete recordings of Ravel's solo piano works, praised for their imaginative delicacy, wit, and stylistic precision in pieces like Gaspard de la nuit, and Fauré's piano music, including the nocturnes and barcarolles, where her precise articulation reveals the composer's subtle harmonies and emotional restraint.^[54]^[55]^[56]^[57] Debussy's Suite bergamasque and other solo works, along with Messiaen's piano music and Turangalîla-Symphonie, further highlight her affinity for impressionistic colors and rhythmic complexity.^[48]^[58] Earlier French and Baroque influences appear in her surveys of Couperin (three volumes of keyboard music), Rameau's suites, and Scarlatti's sonatas (two volumes), performed with ornamental clarity and dance-like vitality.^[21] Beyond these core areas, Hewitt has ventured into Spanish and Slavic works, including Granados's Spanish Dances, Albéniz's Iberia (Vol. 2), de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain, and Shostakovich's Concerto Op. 35, as well as transcriptions in her album Love Songs, which features soulful arrangements of vocal works by various composers, underscoring her personal and engaging interpretive voice.^[48]^[59]^[52]

Awards and honors

Competition victories

Hewitt demonstrated exceptional prowess in international piano competitions from a young age, securing multiple top prizes that highlighted her affinity for Baroque and Romantic repertoire. These early successes, beginning in her late teens, built her technical and interpretive skills while gaining recognition in North America and Europe. In 1975, at age 17, she won first prize in the Chopin Young Pianists' Competition in Buffalo, New York, showcasing her command of Romantic works.^[60] That same year, she claimed a top prize at the International Bach Piano Competition in Washington, D.C., where the required piece included Bach's Goldberg Variations.^[11] The following year, 1976, Hewitt earned a top prize at the prestigious International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, East Germany, further affirming her specialization in Bach's keyboard music.^[60] In 1977, she secured top honors at the Robert Schumann International Piano Competition in Zwickau, Schumann's birthplace, demonstrating her versatility in Romantic piano literature.^[11] In 1978, Hewitt achieved first prize at the Gian Battista Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy, a significant milestone in her European recognition.^[61] Her most pivotal victory came in 1985, when she won first prize—valued at $15,000—at the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, dedicated to the memory of Glenn Gould. This triumph, amid strong international competition, marked her breakthrough to global prominence, leading to widespread concert engagements and recording opportunities.^[15]

Major accolades and distinctions

Hewitt was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000, recognizing her contributions to classical music as a pianist.^[62] She was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor, in 2015 for her lifelong dedication to interpreting and performing the works of composers like Johann Sebastian Bach.^[62] In 2005, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.^[63] In 2006, she received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours, acknowledging her international impact on piano performance.^[64] In 2018, Hewitt was awarded the Governor General's Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in Classical Music, presented by the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, celebrating her exemplary career and influence on Canadian arts.^[65] This honor also encompassed the National Arts Centre Award, highlighting her role in advancing classical music through recordings and performances.^[65] She had previously received the Key to the City of Ottawa on July 7, 1997, in recognition of her prominence as a native artist.^[65]^[66] Hewitt has earned four Juno Awards from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, including for her 1999 recording of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I and her 2013 album of Mozart Piano Concertos Nos. 22 & 24 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.^[60] These accolades affirm her excellence in classical recordings. In 2006, she was named Artist of the Year at the Gramophone Awards, a prestigious recognition of her interpretive artistry across repertoire.^[12] On the international stage, Hewitt received the inaugural BBC Radio 3 Listener's Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2003, voted by audiences for her outstanding contributions to classical music.^[67] In 2010, she was honored as Instrumentalist of the Year at the MIDEM Classical Awards in Cannes, celebrating her mastery of Bach's keyboard works.^[12] The City of Leipzig awarded her the Bach Medal in 2020, making her the first woman to receive this prize for her lifelong commitment to Bach's music.^[5] That same year, she was given the Wigmore Medal by the Royal College of Music for her significant services to music over decades.^[68] Hewitt holds seven honorary doctorates from institutions including the University of Ottawa, McMaster University, and the University of Bristol, bestowed for her scholarly approach to performance and education in music.^[65]

Discography

Bach recordings

Angela Hewitt's recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach's works form a cornerstone of her discography, spanning over two decades and encompassing the complete solo keyboard oeuvre on Hyperion Records.^[69] Her project began in 1994 with the debut release of the Two- and Three-Part Inventions (CDA66746), marking her first album for the label and establishing her as a leading interpreter of Bach on the modern piano.^[21] This initiative culminated in a 15-CD boxed set, Bach: The Solo Keyboard Works (CDS44421/35), released in September 2010, which compiles her recordings from 1994 onward and has sold nearly 400,000 copies worldwide.^[69]^[70] Key releases include the Six English Suites (CDA67451/2, 2003), praised for their clarity and rhythmic vitality, and the Six French Suites alongside other shorter works (CDA67121/2, 1999).^[71] The Six Partitas (CDA67191/2, 1997) propelled her career, earning widespread acclaim for their structural insight and expressive depth on the piano.^[72] Hewitt's traversal of The Well-Tempered Clavier appears in two versions: the original cycle (CDA67301/2 for Book 1 and subsequent volumes, 1997–1999) and a revised recording (CDA67741/4, 2008), reflecting her evolving interpretive approach with greater emphasis on contrapuntal transparency.^[73] Other significant entries feature the Italian Concerto and French Overture (CDA67306, 2000), the Goldberg Variations (CDA68146, 2015; also released on vinyl as LPA68146), noted for its meditative pacing and technical precision, and the Seven Toccatas (CDA67310, 2002).^[21]^[74] The set also incorporates miscellaneous works such as the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue and Aria Variata (included in CD 15 of the box set).^[69] An expanded 27-CD collection, including additional Bach arrangements and concertos, is scheduled for release on January 16, 2026 (CDS44621/47).^[75] Hewitt's Bach recordings have received critical accolades, with Gramophone describing the complete set as a "record glory of our age" for its scholarly rigor and pianistic elegance.^[76] These efforts, totaling over 18 hours of music, underscore her dedication to Bach's keyboard legacy, performed on a Fazioli piano to highlight the composer's polyphonic intricacies.^[77]

Other notable recordings

Hewitt's discography extends far beyond her renowned Bach interpretations, encompassing a wide array of composers from the Baroque to the modern era, primarily through her long association with Hyperion Records.^[21] Her recordings demonstrate versatility across styles, including French impressionism, Romantic virtuosity, and 20th-century innovation, often earning praise for their technical precision and interpretive depth.^[21] One of her landmark projects is the complete solo piano works of Maurice Ravel, released in 2002 on two CDs (CDA67341/2), which captures the composer's intricate rhythms and colorful harmonies with exceptional clarity.^[54] Similarly, her 2006 recording of Claude Debussy's solo piano music (CDA67898) highlights her affinity for impressionistic textures, featuring pieces like Préludes and Images.^[58] In the realm of French music, Hewitt's album of Gabriel Fauré's piano works (CDA67875), including Thème et Variations, Op. 73 and selected nocturnes, showcases the composer's subtle lyricism and refinement.^[78] Hewitt has also made significant contributions to the Romantic repertoire. Her 2004 recording of Frédéric Chopin's nocturnes and impromptus (CDA67371/2) emphasizes poetic expression and structural elegance across two discs.^[53] For Robert Schumann, she recorded Davidsbündlertänze, Kinderszenen, and Sonata No. 2 in 2008 (CDA67780), bringing emotional intensity to these intimate character pieces.^[79] Her exploration of Franz Liszt includes the Piano Sonata in B minor and other works on a 2010 album (CDA68067), noted for its dramatic power and pianistic flair.^[80] Baroque and Classical composers feature prominently as well. Hewitt's three-volume survey of François Couperin's keyboard music (CDA67440, CDA67480, CDA67520, 2002–2003) revives the ornate French harpsichord style on piano with meticulous ornamentation.^[81] She has undertaken a multi-volume series of Beethoven's piano sonatas, starting with Volume 1 in 2006 (CDA67524), pairing familiar works like the Appassionata with lesser-known ones, and completing the cycle in 2022 across nine volumes.^[82] In 2025, her 50th album for Hyperion concluded a complete cycle of Mozart's piano sonatas, spanning three volumes (six CDs) and highlighting the composer's wit and grace.^[4] Twentieth-century works include Hewitt's 1998 recording of Olivier Messiaen's piano music (CDA67054), featuring early Préludes and selections from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, where her performance conveys the composer's ecstatic rhythms and bird-inspired motifs.^[83] She also served as piano soloist in Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Hannu Lintu, released in 2014 on Ondine (ODE 1265-2D), a sprawling orchestral score blending ecstasy and mysticism.^[84] Other highlights encompass Emmanuel Chabrier's piano music (CDA67515, 2004), celebrated for its vivacious Pièces pittoresques, and a 2019 compilation Love Songs (CDA68341) drawing from various composers' amorous themes.^[85]^[59]

References

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Angela Hewitt
### Summary of Angela Hewitt's Biography
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Angela Hewitt, pianist - Medici.tv
Born into a musical family, Angela Hewitt began her piano studies aged three, performing in public at four and a year later winning her first scholarship.
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Aug 19, 2021 · Born in 1958 into a musical family (the daughter of the Cathedral organist and choirmaster in Ottawa, Canada), Angela began her piano studies ...
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Angela Hewitt receives the Bach Medal - Fazioli Pianoforti
Her affinity with the German composer has been awarded the prestigious Bach Medal of the city of Leipzig 2020 for her livelong dedication to the music of Johann ...
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Angela Hewitt awarded Governor General's Lifetime Achievement ...
Mar 8, 2018 · Angela Hewitt has been announced as a 2018 recipient of Canada's prestigious Governor General's Lifetime Achievement Awards for Performing ...
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Jul 26, 2023 · Pianist Angela Hewitt is probably best known for her cycle of Bach recordings. Read about her childhood, family and early music education.
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Angela Hewitt in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
Sep 1, 2013 · And my mother was his student but was a pianist in her own right and had a girls' choir at high school where she taught Music and English. And ...Missing: childhood | Show results with:childhood
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Nov 3, 2003 · “I grew up with Bach,” she says. “My father was the organist at the Anglican Cathedral in Ottawa for 49 years, so I spent every Sunday listening ...
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Angela Hewitt - Lucerne Festival
The Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt comes from a musical family. Her father was the cathedral organist in Ottawa. At the age of three she began learning ...
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Hewitt, Angela | Encyclopedia.com
In 1964, at the age of six, Hewitt began a nine-year period of study at Toronto's prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music, where she gave her first recital ...Missing: timeline | Show results with:timeline
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Bio - Angela Hewitt
Born in 1958 into a musical family (the daughter of the Cathedral organist and choirmaster in Ottawa, Canada), Angela began her piano studies age three, ...
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Angela Hewitt - Naxos Records
Hewitt made her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall and won first place at the Viotti Competition in Vercelli, Italy, but it was her first place in the 1985 ...
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CIPC Presents 1979 Laureate, Angela Hewitt
Nov 11, 2014 · British/Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is no stranger to Cleveland, having won third prize in the 1979 Casadesus Competition, now the Cleveland International ...
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ANGELA HEWITT WINS PIANO COMPETITION - Los Angeles Times
May 23, 1985 · Angela Hewitt, daughter of a musical Ottawa family who began her piano lessons at age 3, has won the $15000 first prize in the 1985 ...
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Angela Hewitt first came to international attention in her late 20s after winning first prize in the 1985 Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, an event ...<|control11|><|separator|>
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Angela Hewitt honoured by Wigmore Hall - Gramophone
Jun 29, 2020 · ... Angela Hewitt with her Wigmore Hall Medal last Thursday ... Wigmore debut in 1985. (She had been due to receive the Medal from ...
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Angela Hewitt - HarrisonParrott
Born into a musical family, Hewitt began her piano studies aged three, performing in public at four and a year later winning her first scholarship. She studied ...
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THE GREAT CANADIAN ARTISTS: AN INTERVIEW WITH PIANIST ...
Angela Hewitt grew up in Ottawa, beginning her piano studies at the age of three. She gave her first full-length recital at the age of nine at the Royal ...Missing: formal education<|control11|><|separator|>
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Angela Hewitt (piano) - Artist - CDs, MP3 and Lossless downloads
Born into a musical family, Angela Hewitt began her piano studies at the age of three. At nine she gave her first recital at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of ...Missing: biography timeline<|control11|><|separator|>
[21]
ANGELA HEWITT'S 50TH ALBUM FOR HYPERION RECORDS ...
ANGELA HEWITT'S 50TH ALBUM FOR HYPERION RECORDS CONCLUDES HER COMPLETE MOZART PIANO SONATAS PROJECT · 1. Fantasia in C minor K475 (1785). Piano Sonata in C minor ...
[22]
Angela Hewitt | Biographies - National Arts Centre
Mar 18, 2025 · Born in Ottawa to a musical family, Hewitt started playing piano at age three and first performed publicly at age four. She studied at the ...
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Angela Hewitt | Orchestra of St. Luke's
In March 2024, Hewitt embarked on her latest major project entitled 'The Mozart Odyssey', comprising the composer's complete piano concertos, first appearing ...
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SCRUTINY | Angela Hewitt And Toronto Symphony Orchestra Offer ...
Mar 27, 2025 · Angela Hewitt performed Mozart's Concerto No. 21 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in a program that also included Mendelssohn's Symphony ...
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Orpheus & Angela Hewitt
Nov 9, 2022 · Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's 50th season continues with the inimitable Bach keyboard expert, Angela Hewitt · Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major, ...Missing: projects | Show results with:projects<|control11|><|separator|>
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Beethoven: Cello Sonatas, Vol. 1 - Angela Hewitt
Angela Hewitt is joined by the outstanding German cellist, Daniel Müller-Schott, for her first chamber music CD for Hyperion. Beethoven's Sonatas for piano and ...
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Why this is the year to cross Angela Hewitt's Umbrian music festival ...
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Association - Trasimeno Music Festival
The Trasimeno Music Festival Association was formed by the happy fruition of two beautiful but originally distant things: on one side the world-renowned ...
[30]
Angela Hewitt piano; Valo Quartet; Mark Simpson clarinet; Anu ...
May 20, 2025 · Founded by Angela Hewitt at her lakeside home near Perugia, the Trasimeno Music Festival brings together like-minded artists every summer.
[31]
Angela Hewitt & The 20th Trasimeno Music Festival - YouTube
Oct 16, 2024 · One of the most acclaimed pianists of today, Angela Hewitt inaugurated her own music festival in the heart of Italy in 2005 – The Trasimeno ...
[32]
Trasimeno Music Festival - YouTube
Trasimeno Music Festival ... Rudolf Lutz and Angela Hewitt perform in the 2021 Trasimeno Music Festival: Bach and Improvisations.
[33]
Tickets now on sale for the Trasimeno Music Festival 2025!
May 6, 2025 · ⭐ Many wonderful guests will join Angela Hewitt on stage during this twentieth edition of the Festival: Ian McEwan, Giovanni Sollima, Il Pomo d' ...
[34]
Trasimeno Music Festival 2025 en - | www.umbriatourism.it
The festival is organized by the association of the same name and directed by the renowned Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt. The festival will feature eight ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[35]
Trasimeno Music Festival 2025 | 20ª edizione - Concertisti Classica
The Festival founded and directed by the great Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is celebrating its twentieth edition, an event that attracts an international ...
[36]
Trasimeno Music Festival - Angela Hewitt
Please visit trasimenomusicfestival.com for more details. The twenty-first Trasimeno Music Festival will be held from June 24 – 30, 2026.
[37]
Trasimeno Music Festival Tour Italy June 2026 - Academy Travel
Enjoy the 21st edition of the classical Trasimeno Music Festival in the heart of Italy, created by pianist Angela Hewitt.
[38]
Angela Hewitt: My battle with Bach | Classical music | The Guardian
Sep 19, 2012 · Pianist Angela Hewitt has played Bach everywhere from Beijing to Bogotá. But she always avoided his final work – thinking it was too tough.
[39]
Angela Hewitt: Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Greatness
Jul 31, 2018 · Angela Hewitt has spent the last quarter-century mastering and refining her interpretation of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, and she returns to it again for the ...
[40]
Angela Hewitt's Joyous Bach - The Boston Musical Intelligencer
Jul 30, 2024 · Bach interpreters of our time, Angela Hewitt appears in recital and as soloist with major orchestras throughout Europe, the Americas, Australia, ...Missing: interpretations | Show results with:interpretations
[41]
Review: Pianist Angela Hewitt's "Bach Odyssey" at Spivey Hall
Mar 10, 2020 · Thus her preludes were phrased and paced with physicality, with bodily movement, at their core. Bach composed the set for his own children and ...
[42]
Review: A Pianist Reveals Bach's Inner Dancer - The New York Times
Nov 3, 2019 · Angela Hewitt, in the first of three recitals at the 92nd Street Y, began the final phase of her four-year journey through Bach's complete keyboard works.Missing: interpretations | Show results with:interpretations<|control11|><|separator|>
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Recording Bach's The Art of Fugue, with Angela Hewitt | Gramophone
Apr 18, 2017 · Philip Clark meets the Canadian pianist at her home in north London to journey into the much misunderstood musical maze that is Bach's The Art of Fugue.<|control11|><|separator|>
[44]
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas, Opp 106 & 111 (Angela Hewitt)
A heartfelt, sensitively nuanced Adagio sostenuto gorgeously showcases Hewitt's refined finger legato technique. Like Murray Perahia, Hewitt trusts the silences ...
[45]
Repertoire - Angela Hewitt
For Piano and Orchestra · Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. - Concerto in C major, Wq 20. Bach, Johann Sebastian · Chopin, Frédéric. - Concerto No 1 in E minor, Op.11<|separator|>
[46]
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67980
[47]
Angela Hewitt plays Handel & Haydn - CDA67736 - Hyperion Records
Recorded and released in the 'anniversary year' of both Handel and Haydn, this album is an effusive celebration of the two composers, performed by an artist ...
[48]
50 of the best classical pianists on record | Gramophone
Jan 1, 2024 · Angela Hewitt (b1958). Celebrated for her Bach recordings, Hewitt's repertoire is broad and takes in Mozart's piano concertos, Beethoven's ...
[49]
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67919
[50]
https://www.shriverconcerts.org/hewitt
[51]
Ravel Complete Solo Piano Music - Gramophone
Angela Hewitt's set of Ravel's piano music is a remarkable feat of the most concentrated imaginative delicacy, wit and style.Missing: French Fauré
[52]
Fauré: Piano Music - CDA67875 - MP3 and Lossless downloads
£9.00Angela Hewitt's recordings of French piano music have received the highest critical acclaim, her 'tenderness, Gallic wit, verve, and—the most important ...
[53]
Fauré: Piano Music – review - The Guardian
Sep 5, 2013 · Tackling Fauré's two most substantial piano works, Angela Hewitt is precise and revealing across the board, writes Andrew Clements.Missing: Ravel | Show results with:Ravel
[54]
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67341/2
[55]
Love songs - CDA68341 - MP3 and Lossless downloads
£9.00Some of the best-known musical declarations of love across the centuries, heard in transcriptions by some of the great pianists (including Angela herself).
[56]
Angela Hewitt | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Oct 17, 2011 · Angela Mary Hewitt, OC, OBE, pianist (born 26 July 1958 in Ottawa, ON). Angela Hewitt is an internationally renowned pianist possessed of ...
[57]
Angela Hewitt - Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA)
Prior to her Toronto Bach Competition victory, Angela Hewitt placed first in Italy's Viotti Competition (1978) and was a top prizewinner in the International ...
[58]
Ms. Angela Hewitt | The Governor General of Canada
Companion of the Order of Canada. Awarded on: November 19, 2015; Invested on: May 08, 2019 · Officer of the Order of Canada. Awarded on: April 27, 2000; Invested ...
[59]
OBE Investiture - Angela Hewitt
Mar 1, 2007 · The OBE medal marks one of five levels in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, established in 1917 by King George V.
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Angela Hewitt - Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA)
Her other awards and honours include the National Arts Centre Award (GGPAA), inaugural BBC Radio 3 Listeners' Award, numerous Juno nominations and awards, Key ...Missing: honors | Show results with:honors
[61]
BBC Radio 3 Listeners' Award: Past Winners
2003 Thomas Allen baritone 2002 Angela Hewitt piano. Related pages. Winners to date · Winners to date · Winners to date · Winners to date · Winners to date.
[62]
Angela Hewitt awarded the Wigmore Medal
Jul 2, 2020 · Renowned pianist and RCM alumna Angela Hewitt has been awarded the Wigmore Medal. Inaugurated in 2007, the prestigious prize recognizes major ...
[63]
Bach: The Solo Keyboard Works - Angela Hewitt
Angela's complete solo Bach is available as a boxed set of 15 CDs at a special price. A perfect gift for the few music-lovers left in the world.
[64]
Angela Hewitt plays Bach - CDS44421/35 - Hyperion Records
£45.00Release date: September 2010. Total duration: 1130 minutes 37 seconds. Cover artwork: Photo of Angela Hewitt by James Cheadle.
[65]
https://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/2018/hewitt%2C-angela.aspx
[66]
Bach: The Six Partitas - Angela Hewitt
With the release of this CD back in 1997, Angela Hewitt's career began to really take off. Astonishingly, the Six Partitas for Clavier were the first works ...
[67]
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier – new 2008 recording
When I first recorded Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier for Hyperion Records a decade ago (1997–9) it was an important milestone in my life. My cycle of Bach ...
[68]
Pianists on Vinyl: Sir Stephen Hough, Angela Hewitt and Marc ...
Sep 15, 2024 · Hyperion Records returns to vinyl after 35 years with five iconic and award-winning albums. ... Angela Hewitt's 2015 Bach Goldberg ...
[69]
https://angelahewitt.com/discography/bach-the-solo-keyboard-works/
[70]
Angela Hewitt plays Bach - CDs, MP3 and Lossless downloads
Angela Hewitt's debut recording on Hyperion, and the first album in a Bach compendium described in The Sunday Times as 'one of the record glories of our age'.
[71]
Classical Album of the Week: Angela Hewitt's 18 Hours of J.S. Bach
May 6, 2019 · This 15-CD set represents a recording journey that began in 1994 with JS Bach's complete two-part Inventions and three-part Sinfonias.Missing: discography | Show results with:discography
[72]
Fauré: Piano Music - Angela Hewitt
This album includes the major work Thème et Variations, Op 73—one of Faure's greatest works for piano—and a selection of Valses-caprices and Nocturnes ...
[73]
https://angelahewitt.com/discography/bach-the-well-tempered-clavier-new-2008-recording/
[74]
https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/pianists-on-vinyl-sir-stephen-hough-angela-hewitt-and-marc-andre-hame/
[75]
https://www.bravado.de/en/products/angela-hewitt-the-bach-recordings-107898
[76]
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 - Angela Hewitt
This volume commences a survey of Beethoven sonatas which will couple the well known, in this case the 'Appassionata', with the comparatively neglected, here ...
[77]
https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2019-05-06/classical-album-of-the-week-angela-hewitts-18-hours-of-j-s-bach
[78]
Messiaen: Turangalîla Symphonie - Angela Hewitt
Angela Hewitt is the piano soloist on this Ondine recording (Hybrid SACD) of Olivier Messiaen's mammoth Turangalîla-Symphonie, played by the Finnish Radio ...
[79]
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67780