Philip Howard, Composer and Pianist
News:
*Philip performed in Berlin on 14th May on the last night of the "Tasten - Berliner Klaviertage 2006" festival (Berlin Piano Days 2006). See performances page for more details!
*Just released: [rout]'s CD of music by Paul Newland, Paul Whitty, and Sam Hayden. Philip Howard features in a guest capacity playing a hand-operated Indian harmonium in Newland's Standing Jump. Divine Art CD 29001.
*A new 'how-to' guide on Secrets of Piano Playing has been added to the site!
*The streaming audio is now fixed! Go to the listening page to check. Any problems, please contact us.
*This site now has its own blog - a weblog written by composer and concert pianist Philip Howard.
*Philip Howard made his solo concert début at the Purcell Room in London's South Bank Centre in April 2005. The programme included Philip's own Local News (2003) and Xenakis's Evryali as well as solo piano music by Chopin, Bartók, Janáček, Enescu and Szymanowski. Read more and have a look at the programme notes on the Performances page.
*Philip's article Evryali: Beyond the Surface was recently published in Vol. 42 No. 2 of the journal Perspectives of New Music.
*His playing can be heard on one track of the new NMC recording of Michael Finnissy's choral music performed by vocal ensemble EXAUDI, who also recently performed Philip's Do not look down on me at the Purcell Room.
*Philip's début solo piano album Decoding Skin was released in December 2003 on the Divine Art label. The album features classic solo piano works by Xenakis, Feldman, and Finnissy, together with more recent work by young British composers Paul Whitty, Paul Newland and Max Wilson. read more about this album
This is an impressive, challenging debut... Howard's fingerprints as a performer are clearly evident throughout: a ferocious technical ability filtered through a bold and thoughtful interpretative intellect. [A] brave and impressive display of musical intelligence and integrity". TEMPO, July 2004.
"Philip Howard plays to his strengths [in] a varied and vitally realised recital programme...A fine début, with the many repertoire challenges within eloquently and skilfully met". GRAMOPHONE, March 2004.
"Every piece is superbly played with total belief by this most gifted pianist and I trust this CD will get the attention it clearly merits". MUSICAL OPINION, January 2004.
*The British pianist and composer Philip Howard was judged winner of the 34th International Gaudeamus Interpreters' Competition in Rotterdam in March 2003. One of 103 entrants in the prestigious competition, he is the first British winner since 1968. read more