Highlights of Mr. Nel’s nearly three decades of concertizing include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the symphonies of Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, and London, among many others. (He has an active repertoire of more than 100 works for piano and orchestra.) An acclaimed Beethoven interpreter, Anton Nel has performed the concerto cycle several times, most notably on two consecutive evenings with the Cape Philharmonic in 2003. He was also chosen to give the North American premiere of the newly discovered Piano Concerto No. 3 in E Minor by Felix Mendelssohn in 1992. Two noteworthy world premieres of works by living composers include "Virtuoso Alice" by David Del Tredici (dedicated to, and performed by Mr. Nel at his Lincoln Center debut in 1988) as well as Stephen Paulus's Piano Concerto also written for for Mr. Nel; the acclaimed world premiere took place in New York in 2003. As recitalist he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum and the Frick Collection in New York, at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, Davies Hall in San Francisco, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Internationally he has performed recitals in major concert halls in Canada, England (Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore Halls in London), France, Holland (Concertgebouw in Amsterdam), Japan (Suntory Hall in Tokyo), Korea, and South Africa. A favorite at summer festivals he has performed at the Ravinia Festival, at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, as well as at the Aspen and Blossom Music Festivals (where he is on the artist-faculties), among many others. Possessing an encyclopedic chamber music and vocal repertoire he has, over the years, regularly collaborated with many of the world's foremost string quartets, instrumental soloists, and singers. With acclaimed violinist Sarah Chang he completed a highly successful tour of Japan as well as appearing at a special benefit concert for Live Music Now in London, hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales. Eager to pursue dual
careers in teaching and performing he was
appointed to the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin in his
early twenties, followed by professorships at the Eastman School of
Music,
and the University of Michigan, where he was chairman of the piano
department. In September 2000, Anton Nel was appointed as the Priscilla
Pond Flawn Regents Professor of Piano and Chamber music
at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches an international
class of students and now heads the Division of Keyboard Studies. Since
his return he has also been the recipient of two Austin-American
Statesman’s Critics Circle Awards, as well as the University
Cooperative Society/College
of Fine Arts award for extra-curricular achievement. In 2001 he
was appointed Visiting "Extraordinary" Professor at the University of
Stellenbosch in South Africa, and continues to teach master classes
worldwide. In January 2010 he will become the first holder of the newly
endowed Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Chair in Piano at the University
of Texas at Austin. He has three solo CDs
(including a disc for EMI) as
well as several chamber music recordings to his credit. The
2005/6 season saw three new releases: "Anton Nel in
Recital", as well as the complete Beethoven Sonatas and Variations for
Piano and Cello (with Bion Tsang) by Artek Recordings (with
distribution by
Naxos) and his
performances of
the Faure Ballade and Franck Symphonic Variations with the Philharmonia
Virtuosi, on the ESS.A.Y label. Anton Nel became a citizen
of the United States of America on
September 11, 2003. He is a Steinway
artist. |
