Bernard d'Ascoli
Bernard d'Ascoli was born in the south of France and began learning piano and organ at the age of eleven and, at the age of nineteen, won the First Prize in the Barcelona International Piano Competition. He first came to major public attention when, following his Third Prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition, he was invited to perform at the world's most important music venues in Paris, Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Vienna (Musikverein), Geneva, Brussels, Madrid, Tokyo, Washington and the Sydney Opera House, and made his first recording for EMI , featuring the Liszt sonata.
He has also appeared as a soloist with most London and British orchestras as well as many major overseas ensembles such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Boston Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, under such prestigious conductors as Svetlanov, Sanderling, Berglund, Plasson, Casadesus, Guschlbauer, Litton, Menuhin, Pritchard, Herbig, Leppard and Andrew Davis.
In 2000 he gave three concerts in the Olympic festivities at the Sydney Opera House both as recitalist and soloist with the Sydney Symphony. Recent notable appearances in Britain have included performances with the City of London Sinfonia, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Northern Philharmonia and the Liverpool Philharmonic, whilst overseas he was invited to play with both the Toulouse and Lille orchestras and took part of the Besan?on and La Roque d'Anthéron festivals. He is a regular guest of the London Mozart Players and Andrew Parrot, with whom he has recently toured nationwide including performances at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and St John's Smith Square.
Bernard d'Ascoli has recorded albums of Chopin and Schumann for Nimbus and has made regular recordings as well as live broadcasts for the BBC. Linn Records has just released a CD of the Schumann Quintet with the Schidlof String Quartet. His affinity with the music of Chopin has led him to undertake the recording for Divine Art/Athene of the complete Scherzi and Impromptus the complete Nocturnes.
