Living the Classical Life

Following his first trip outside of the USSR in 1989, Sergei Babayan won consecutive first prizes in several major international competitions, and he has since performed at the world's preeminent concert venues.  As a Deutsche Grammophon artist, he has released albums with his most frequent piano duo partners, Martha Argerich and Daniil Trifonov, which will be followed by recordings of Bach and Rachmaninoff.  He teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Juilliard. 

One of the most distinctive and multifaceted artists of his generation, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer and writer.  Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Hough was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Honours List 2014. His recorded output includes over 50 albums, now exclusively for Hyperion Records.

During the 2010-11 season Daniil Trifonov won medals at three of the music world’s most prestigious competitions.  He has since made a spectacular ascent as solo artist, champion of the concerto repertoire, chamber and vocal collaborator, and composer; released four albums as a Deutsche Grammophon recording artist; received a Grammy award; and was Gramophone’s 2016 Artist of the Year. 

Yuja Wang is an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award, the Echo Classic Young Artist of the Year, and Musical America Artist of the Year.  Her international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Two years later she signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and has since established her place among the world’s leading artists. In 2017, she was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year.

Robert White has sung for five U.S. Presidents, Britain’s Queen Mother and Prince Charles, Monaco’s Royal Family, and Pope John Paul II.  He has recorded extensively for RCA, EMI, Virgin, Sony, Arabesque and Hyperion with such colleagues as Yo-Yo Ma, Placido Domingo, and Stephen Hough, in music ranging from Beethoven to Richard Rodgers and Edouard Lalo, and is currently on faculty at Juilliard while maintaining an active performing career.