Thomas Hampson
Baritone

Thomas Hampson, America’s foremost baritone, has received international honors and awards for his captivating artistry and cultural leadership. Lauded as a Metropolitan Opera Guild “Met Mastersinger” and inducted into both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Gramophone’s “Hall of Fame,” Hampson is one of the most respected and innovative musicians of our time. With an operatic repertoire of over 80 roles sung in all the major theaters of the world, his discography comprises more than 170 albums, which include multiple nominations and winners of the Grammy Award, Edison Award, and the Grand Prix du Disque. He received the 2009 Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, and was appointed the New York Philharmonic’s first-ever Artist-in-Residence. In 2010, he was honored with a Living Legend Award by the Library of Congress, where he has served as Special Advisor to the Study and Performance of Music in America. Furthermore, he has received the famed Concertgebouw Prize.

Highlights of Hampson’s seasons included his return to the Wiener Staatsoper in his signature role of Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s “La Traviata”, and to Teatro alla Scala for a role debut, Altair in Strauss’ “Die ägyptische Helena”. In future seasons, at Opernhaus Zürich, he will create the role of Jan Vermeer in the world premiere of Stefan Wirth’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.

Notable engagements on the concert stage include opening the Oslo Philharmonic’s season in August 2020 with their new Chief Conductor, Klaus Mäkelä and performing at Vilnius Festival in Spring 2021.  Hampson also takes part in the Gewandhausorchester’s Mahler Festival, appearing in recital with pianist Wolfram Rieger, and performing Mahler’s Rückert Lieder with Daniel Harding and the Wiener Philharmoniker. He appears on tour with Dennis Russel Davies and the MDR Leipzig in the Philharmonie Berlin and Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. Hampson also takes his “No Tenors Allowed” programme to the Carmen Wüerth Forum, with bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni. In the Pierre Boulez Saal he begins his return as Artistic Curator for the “Schubert Week” at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.

Maciej Pikulski
Piano

Pianist soloist, chamber music player and accompanist of famous singers, Maciej Pikulski already appeared on the stage in 300 concert halls on 5 continents.

He was awarded a piano, chamber music and vocal accompaniment diploma at the Paris Superior Conservatory. Then he was admitted to the post graduate cycle and became prize-winner of the France Telecom Foundation.

A disciple of Dominique Merlet and Clive Britton (himself a former pupil of Claudio Arrau) Maciej Pikulski has performed as soloist the Liszt’s “Totentanz” and Gershwin’s « Rhapsody in Blue « in Trancoso Festival in Bresil, the Gershwin’s « Concerto in F » in Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and Sala Sao Paulo; the Rachmaninoff’s Concerto n. 2 in Logroño, Spain, the Beethoven’s Concerto n.5 « Emperor » in Biarritz , France, the Chopin’s Concerto n.2 in Olsztyn, Poland, and made piano recitals in Uruguay, Russia, India, Sri Lanka, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and Belgium.

Meanwhile, he developed a career as a vocal accompanist of world leading singers: he performed with José van Dam – concerts in Carnegie Hall New York, La Scala Milano, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Bruxelles, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires; Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, Renée Fleming – concerts in Salle Pleyel in Paris, Musikverein in Vienna, Grand Theatre de Genève, Barbican in London, Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Dublin Concert Hall, Rudolfinum in Prague, Thomas Hampson, Natalie Dessay, Diana Damrau, Dame Felicity Lott, Maria Bayo, Sumi Jo, Anna-Caterina Antonacci, Luca Pisaroni, Laurent Naouri, Nicolas Testé, Joseph Calleja and Patricia Petibon.

Maciej Pikulski recorded 15 CD’s and DVD’s and gave master-classes in China, Brazil, India, Belgium, Holland and France. He is also professor with tenure at the Superior Conservatory of Music of San Sebastian (Spain).

The press recognized his “poetic sensitivity” (Globe and Mail, Toronto), his “powerful technique” (New York Times) and called him “magnificiant musician” (Le Figaro) and “great pianist” (Corriere de la Serra).