SaleemAshkar
- Piano
About Saleem
Saleem Ashkar’s recent and future concerto highlights include the Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Lyon, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, Konzerthaus Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Copenhagen Philharmonic.
Previous seasons have seen him perform with the Deutsche's Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Helsinki Philharmonic, the Detroit, St Louis, Vancouver and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony orchestras and on a three-week tour to Australia. Saleem has a close relationship with many leading conductors including David Afkham, Daniel Barenboim, Jakub Hrůša, Pietari Inkinen, Fabio Luisi, Kazushi Ono and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
A dedicated recitalist and chamber musician, Saleem has a particularly strong reputation as a Beethoven specialist and has performed a complete Sonata cycle in Prague, Duisburg and at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Recent and future highlights include recitals at Oslo Opera House, Wigmore Hall in London, Queen’s Hall in Copenhagen, Milan Verdi Conservatory Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Boulez Saal Berlin and Musikverein Vienna.
Saleem’s most recent recording for Decca Records was a complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle. The final volumes were released in the 2022/23 season.
Saleem is Artistic Director of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, formed of young and professional musicians to encourage collaboration between the Arab and Jewish communities in Israel. Saleem works with the orchestra both as conductor and soloist. In March 2022, they made their debut at Carnegie Hall in a programme with Joshua Bell as soloist and at Koerner Hall, Toronto. Recent engagements included a highly-acclaimed European tour, which included performances at Konzerthaus Berlin and Rheingau Festival.
Contact
For Sales & Enquiries:
Rachel Bertaut
Representation
Season Highlights
Video
- Playing
Saleem Ashkar discusses the editing process of the Beethoven Sonata cycle
Following the culmination of his complete cycle of Beethoven's sonatas, Saleem Ashkar discusses the project. Full cycle plus complete album available now from Decca Italy. Credit: Decca
Saleem Ashkar discusses recording the Beethoven Sonata cycle (part 2)
Following the culmination of his complete cycle of Beethoven’s sonatas, Saleem Ashkar discusses the project. Full cycle plus complete album available now from Decca Italy. Credit: Decca
Saleem Ashkar discusses recording the Beethoven Sonata cycle (part 1)
Following the culmination of his complete cycle of Beethoven’s sonatas, Saleem Ashkar discusses the project. Full cycle plus complete album available now from Decca Italy. Credit: Decca
C. Bechstein Resonances: Saleem Ashkar II (No. 13)
“I have spent the last 30 years every day several many many hours with a piano. So you develop an intimacy with the instrument, you develop a certain knowledge that is immediately. I touch a piano and I know if it speaks to me, if I can if there is a barrier, if the energy is flowing immediately or do I have to make adjustments and again part of it is objective and part of it is very subjective. And so basically I could choose a piano in two seconds.” – Saleem Ashkar Watch the complete documentary: https://youtu.be/GzGQ_5YcYUY Credit: C. Bechstein
Saleem Ashkar's Beethoven Sonata Cycle
Highlights from Saleem Ashkar’s second recital in his complete Beethoven Sonata Cycle Credit: Tel Aviv
Audio
- Mendelssohn Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2Credit: Decca
- Beethoven Sonata No. 3, movement 1Credit: Decca
- Beethoven Sonata No. 14 Moonlight, movement 3Credit: Decca
- Beethoven Sonata No. 30Credit: Decca
Selected Repertoire
Bach
Concerto No. 3 in D major BWV 1054 • Concerto No. 5 in F minor BWV 1056
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15 • Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op. 19 • Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor Op. 37 • Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58 • Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat Major, "Emperor" Op. 73 • Fantasy in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra Op. 80
Berg
Chamber Concerto
Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15 • Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op. 83
Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11
Falla
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Gershwin
Piano Concerto in F
Grieg
Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16
Mendelssohn
Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 25 • Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor Op. 40 • Rondo Brilliant in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra Op. 29
Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major K. 271 • Piano Concerto No. 10 in E-flat major K. 365 • Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major K.414 • Piano Concerto No. 13 in C major K.415 • Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major K.449 • Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major K.453 • Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major K. 459 • Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K.466 • Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major K.467 • Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major K.482 • Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major K.488 • Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor K.491 • Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major K.503
Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18
Ravel
Piano Concerto for the left hand in D major
Saints-Saens
Africa, Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 89 • Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major Op. 103
Schumann
Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54
Strauss
Burleske in D minor
Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23 • Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major Op. 44
Sample Programmes
Schumann and his world
Robert Schumann and the Schumann household were a source of inspiration in the German Romantic music scene. The musical cosmos of perhaps the most fantastic and literary composer, his piano literature, chamber music, songs and literary works will be interwoven in a project over three evenings. Program 1: Schumann: Fantasy in C, Op. 17 David Robert Coleman: "Schumann" Brahms: Piano Sonata in f minor Op. 5 Program 2: Mendelssohn Songs without words R. Schumann "Frauen Liebe und Leben" Eric Nathan "Schumann" Clara Schumann piano Trio Op. 17 Program 3: Brahms Piano Quintet op.34 Wang Lu " Schumann" Schumann Piano Quintet op.44
News
Press
Musical Bridges Recital
Manzoni Auditorium, BolognaMar 2023We are faced with a meticulous sound craftsman and a great artist. Saleem Ashkar polishes each note with pumice stone until it sparkles. Every single sound shines with a brilliant brilliance. It is a succession of perfect sound marbles, one after the other, as in a cascade of pearls bouncing on the floor. Each note is intelligible, linked to the previous and the next as if none of those impulsive rebounds were given to chance.
Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor
Atlanta Symphony OrchestraJan 2022Ashkar’s playing was outstanding — rhythmically solid and supple, with crystalline phrasing and no fat, no excess, in his sound. For a concerto that seems to attract kitsch and glitter, his approach made it sound clean and modern. [...] In the cadenza, near the end of the opening movement, Ashkar made the flamboyant Lisztian declaration of the main theme heroic and triumphant, but with an undercurrent of self-doubt. For all the grandiosity, you could feel his inward contemplation. Throughout the concerto, Ashkar found these sorts of new facets, and rarely plumbed depths, in this familiar music.
- Arts Atl
- 31 January 2022
Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 2
St Louis Symphony OrchestraJan 2020The lovely melodies from the composer seem to flow from his head down to his fingers in such a way that, as the program notes, he seems to have three hands… nobody does Mendelssohn better than Ashkar.
- St Louis Today
- 31 January 2020
Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor
Bournemouth Symphony OrchestraOct 2018Grieg’s Piano Concerto drew a powerful [...] account from Saleem Ashkar [Ashkar brought a] Mozartean clarity with a diamond-bright tone at the forefront of his armoury.
- Classical Source
- 01 November 2018
Saleem Ashkar delivered a poised and pleasingly nuanced performance of the ever-popular Grieg Piano Concerto. I was particularly appreciative of Ashkar’s delicacy and sensibility through the lovely Adagio central movement.
- Seen and Heard
- 02 November 2018
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1
Melbourne Symphony OrchestraSep 2017[Ashkar's] Adagio and finale impressed for his insight and vigour respectively.
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- 01 October 2017
Discography
- Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 4, 9, 18, 25, 29
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 16, 22, 11, 15, 26
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 7, 17, 19, 20, 27, 28
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 10, 12, 13, 21, 24, 31
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 6, 23 "Appassionata" & 32
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 3, 5, 14 "Moonlight" & 30
- Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
