Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Piano
Pierre-Laurent Aimard has made a name for himself all over the world, especially – but not only – as a sought-after specialist in Contemporary music: the pianist has thrilled audiences in world premieres of composers such as Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti. In concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he has performed works by Bartók and Ravel, among others.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard began his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of 12, where he was also in close contact with Olivier Messiaen as a pupil of Yvonne Loriod. In 1973, he won first prize at the Olivier Messiaen Competition. At the age of 19, Pierre Boulez brought him into the newly founded Ensemble intercontemporain, with which Aimard remained associated as principal pianist for 18 years. During this time, when he participated in many world premieres, he established his reputation as one of the most distinguished performers of contemporary music. As an internationally respected musician, Pierre-Laurent Aimard performs all over the world with renowned orchestras and conductors and is a regular guest at all major festivals. He has been Artist in Residence at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Centre, the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Philharmonie Berlin (2006/07), the Lucerne Festival, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Tanglewood Festival and London’s Southbank Centre. In 2017, Aimard was awarded the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize “for a life in the service of music”. Since his debut as a soloist with the Berliner Philharmoniker in January 2000, Pierre-Laurent Aimard has appeared regularly in the orchestra’s concerts.
