Stephen Hough

“Whether he played Schumann, Brahms, Chopin or himself, jaws dropped at the subtleties of touch and articulation, the poetic phrasing, emotional volatility, the easy summoning of rainbow sonorities across the instrument’s range.” (Geoff Brown, The Times, January 2013)

“Hough's playing has such authority and panache, its balance between virtuosity and vividly communicated expression so finely judged, that every perfectly scaled moment is as intensely realised as every other. Few other pianists around today play Chopin with as much understanding and poised mastery as this.” (The Guardian, July 2011)

“Stephen Hough’s recital in the church at Verbier included a pellucid account of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ sonata, a magnificent one of Liszt’s sonata, and an intriguing performance of his own ‘Broken Branches’ sonata. As Britain’s leading pianist, Hough commands close attention whatever he plays.” (The Independent, July 2011)

“Hough's performance was tremendous, balancing muscle with intelligence, stamina with wit. Showy flourishes were left hanging like questions or dispatched with insouciance; the finale was carried by mounting exhilaration.” (The Guardian, January 2011)

“Two hours of the most devastating clarity of pianism I have witnessed. When Hough is in this form he cannot be rivalled ... A colossal recital.” (The Glasgow Herald, December 2009)

“Hough and the Minnesota Orchestra dispatched Tchaikovsky's Concert Fantasia with stunning virtuosity, vigorously elevating a piece that languishes in symphonic obscurity ... This is a prodigious piece of music that shows off Hough's fierce strength, his disciplined articulation, delicate clarity, dexterity and passion.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 2009)

“The piano concerto brought Stephen Hough to the crest of his Tchaikovsky series, and once again demonstrated his ability to strip the Romantic Russian repertoire of its sentimental gloop without sacrificing its thunder. In the most fevered moments, Hough erupted, mixing unrestrained passion with purposefulness; yet it was in the quietest exchanges with the orchestra that he drew us in most irresistibly.” (The Guardian, August 2009)