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Born into an artistic family that includes
the legendary harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, Alan Gampel made
his debut playing Beethoven variations at the age of seven at
the Hollywood Bowl. At eight he received The Special Award in
the Arts from UNICEF and, at sixteen the Presidential Scholars
Award at the White House. After graduating from Stanford and completing
a graduate degree at USC, he moved to Paris. Auditioning for Sir
Georg Solti, Yehudi Menuhin and Daniel Barenboim led to studies
and performances throughout Europe. In 1991, he received a top
prize at the Naumburg International Piano Competition in New York
and was unanimously awarded the Mozart Bicentenary Prize at the
Dublin International Piano Competition. In 1995, Mr. Gampel won
the coveted Chopin Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein International
Piano Competition.
Alan Gampel has been performing as featured
soloist with major orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, the
American Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris,
the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, the Irish National Symphony,
and the Czech Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared in recital in
the United States at the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, at Chicago’s
Ravinia Festival, in New York’s Frick Collection Series and
the Mostly Mozart Festival; in London at Wigmore Hall; in Paris
at the Theatre du Chatelet, Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Auditorium
du Louvre, and Musee d’Orsay; in Rome at the Teatro Ghione;
and in Istanbul on the International Pianist Series.
During the 1999-2000 season, Mr. Gampel
gave an extensive international recital tour celebrating Chopin’s
150th anniversary. At many of these concerts, he combined performing
with comments on the composer’s life and work. At almost
every city on the tour, he made informal appearances at local
public schools; these voluntary children’s concerts have
become a staple of his tours. That passion for introducing young
people to classical music has recently led Mr. Gampel to create
the Joy2Learn Foundation, dedicated to bringing the fine arts
into classrooms across America.
Mr. Gampel’s 2000-01 and 2001-02
seasons will include tours devoted to the lives and music of Franz
Liszt and Franz Schubert. The tours will include debut appearances
and return engagements in the U.S.A., Europe, and Japan.
Alan Gampel’s previous CDs include
a collection of Beethoven Sonatas and a compilation of works by
Chopin.
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