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Paul Crossley

About this Artist

For more than 25 years PAUL CROSSLEY has been internationally recognized for his brilliant technical and artistic command in an enormous repertoire of piano music. Born in 1944, he studied with Fanny Waterman before going to Paris where he spent inspirational times studying with Messiaen and his wife Yvonne Loriod. His acclaimed mastery of the elusive styles and sounds of the French repertoire flowered at this time.

In 1973, Crossley gave the world premiere of Sir Michael Tippett's Third Piano Sonata, and overnight he achieved international recognition as one of the major pianists of our time. Quickly he became established as a multi-talented, highly eclectic artist.

As a broadcaster he began a remarkable career as writer and presenter of a series of ambitious television documentaries about leading 20th century composers, followed by programs about Liszt and Ravel. As artistic director he was in charge of the London Sinfonietta from 1988 to 1994, shaping and overseeing its programs and choice of artists.

He has won major recording awards: the Diapason d'Or for the complete solo piano works of Ravel and Tippett; the Prix Caecilia for the Berg Chamber Concerto with the London Sinfonietta and David Atherton; the Grand Prix du Disc for the Fauré Violin Sonatas with Arthur Grumiaux; the Deutsche Schallplatten Preis for the Lutoslawski Piano Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen; and no fewer than four awards for the complete works for piano and orchestra by Stravinsky with the London Sinfonietta and Salonen. His recording of Takemitsu's Quotation of Dream (1991), for two pianos and orchestra, dedicated "to two pianists, Peter Serkin and Paul Crossley, whom I have respected in long friendship," won the 1999 Gramophone Award for best Contemporary Music recording. Of late he has extended his talents to include composition, to mounting critical acclaim.