Barry Douglas

Barry Douglas
Pianist

Irish pianist Barry Douglas has gained world recognition as an artist of prodigious intellectual gifts and a comparably prodigious technical mastery of the keyboard. He has been acclaimed for his commanding interpretations of the piano repertoire’s most challenging masterworks and the music of living composers, as well as for his brilliant performances of established piano showpieces.

Since his 1986 triumph as Gold Medalist at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow and his earlier Bronze Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1985, Mr. Douglas has been invited to perform on the concert stages of five continents. These commitments have included regular tours in the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Japan and Australia. He has played with some of the most distinguished orchestras of our time, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the NHK and Tokyo symphonies in Japan, and all of the major London orchestras. He has also collaborated with many of the world’s leading conductors, most notably Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Andre Previn, Kurt Sanderling, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Charles Dutoit, Kent Nagano, Jesus Lopez-Cobos and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

During the 2002-03 season Mr. Douglas performed at the BBC Piano Festival and appeared on tour with Rome’s Santa Cecilia Orchestra. He also performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Bournemouth Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, and the Ulster Orchestra, among other ensembles. Highlighting Mr. Douglas’ 2001-02 engagements was a tour of the United States with the Camerata Ireland, a chamber orchestra he founded in 1999 with players from both Northern and Southern Ireland. As orchestral soloist he appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Orchestre National de Lyon.

Mr. Douglas has recorded extensively for BMG’s RCA Victor Red Seal label. His discography includes such formidable works as Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata, Brahms’ D Minor Piano Concerto and Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, as well as more exotic entries including the Liszt “Dante” Sonata and the Tchaikovsky Grand Sonata, Opus 37. Mr. Douglas has always had a strong commitment to the music of our time and has championed the works of Britain’s John McCabe, America’s John Corigliano and many other living composers. BMG/RCA Victor released Mr. Douglas’s recording of the Corigliano Piano Concerto No. 1 with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, done under the supervision of the composer, and his recording of Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto and Debussy’s Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Marek Janowski. The latest release from BMG/RCA Victor showcasing Mr. Douglas’s exemplary gifts is a recording of Max Reger’s Piano Concerto and Richard Strauss’ Burleske, also with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Maestro Janowski.

Mr. Douglas was featured as soloist in the Rachmaninoff Second Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas on the RCA Victor “Concerto!” series, which has been telecast worldwide. He also appeared with Shirley Maclaine in the full-length feature film Madame Sousatzka.
Born in Belfast, Barry Douglas went to London in 1978 to study at the Royal College of Music. He first came to international attention when he won the Bronze Medal at the 1985 Van Cliburn Piano Competition. In 1986 he rocketed to musical stardom by winning the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow—the first Westerner to do so outright since Van Cliburn won the prize in 1958.

From his earliest years as a musician, Mr. Douglas has been drawn passionately to opera and song as ideal forms of musical expression, and this has had a considerable influence on his approach to the piano. Several years ago he took a sabbatical at Oxford University, where he pursued studies in European history and languages, and worked on new repertoire, especially works of the 20th century. He speaks French, German, Italian and Russian. Mr. Douglas makes his base in Paris, where he lives with his wife and three children. He also maintains an apartment in London and is a frequent visitor to his hometown of Belfast.





Barry Douglas Pianist Irish pianist Barry Douglas has gained world recognition as an artist of prodigious intellectual gifts and a comparably prodigious technical mastery of the keyboard. He has been acclaimed for his commanding interpretations of the piano repertoire’s most challenging masterworks and the music of living composers, as well as for his brilliant performances of established piano showpieces. Since his 1986 triumph as Gold Medalist at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow and his earlier Bronze Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1985, Mr. Douglas has been invited to perform on the concert stages of five continents. These commitments have included regular tours in the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Japan and Australia. He has played with some of the most distinguished orchestras of our time, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the NHK and Tokyo symphonies in Japan, and all of the major London orchestras. He has also collaborated with many of the world’s leading conductors, most notably Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Andre Previn, Kurt Sanderling, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Charles Dutoit, Kent Nagano, Jesus Lopez-Cobos and Esa-Pekka Salonen. During the 2002-03 season Mr. Douglas performed at the BBC Piano Festival and appeared on tour with Rome’s Santa Cecilia Orchestra. He also performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Bournemouth Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, and the Ulster Orchestra, among other ensembles. Highlighting Mr. Douglas’ 2001-02 engagements was a tour of the United States with the Camerata Ireland, a chamber orchestra he founded in 1999 with players from both Northern and Southern Ireland. As orchestral soloist he appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Orchestre National de Lyon. Mr. Douglas has recorded extensively for BMG’s RCA Victor Red Seal label. His discography includes such formidable works as Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata, Brahms’ D Minor Piano Concerto and Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, as well as more exotic entries including the Liszt “Dante” Sonata and the Tchaikovsky Grand Sonata, Opus 37. Mr. Douglas has always had a strong commitment to the music of our time and has championed the works of Britain’s John McCabe, America’s John Corigliano and many other living composers. BMG/RCA Victor released Mr. Douglas’s recording of the Corigliano Piano Concerto No. 1 with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, done under the supervision of the composer, and his recording of Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto and Debussy’s Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Marek Janowski. The latest release from BMG/RCA Victor showcasing Mr. Douglas’s exemplary gifts is a recording of Max Reger’s Piano Concerto and Richard Strauss’ Burleske, also with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Maestro Janowski. Mr. Douglas was featured as soloist in the Rachmaninoff Second Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas on the RCA Victor “Concerto!” series, which has been telecast worldwide. He also appeared with Shirley Maclaine in the full-length feature film Madame Sousatzka. Born in Belfast, Barry Douglas went to London in 1978 to study at the Royal College of Music. He first came to international attention when he won the Bronze Medal at the 1985 Van Cliburn Piano Competition. In 1986 he rocketed to musical stardom by winning the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow—the first Westerner to do so outright since Van Cliburn won the prize in 1958. From his earliest years as a musician, Mr. Douglas has been drawn passionately to opera and song as ideal forms of musical expression, and this has had a considerable influence on his approach to the piano. Several years ago he took a sabbatical at Oxford University, where he pursued studies in European history and languages, and worked on new repertoire, especially works of the 20th century. He speaks French, German, Italian and Russian. Mr. Douglas makes his base in Paris, where he lives with his wife and three children. He also maintains an apartment in London and is a frequent visitor to his hometown of Belfast.