The compelling artistry of Eric Himy has intrigued five continents for a generation. He has played to critical acclaim in the United States, Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, France, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Slovenia. Mr. Himy has been heard most notably at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, The Frick Collection, The Phillips Collection, Salle Gaveau in Paris and he just gave the first recitals of this millennium in the famous Opera House Teatro Amazonas of Manaus, Brazil. He has also played in joint recital with Gary Hoffman, Garrick Ohlsson, and Jose Ramos Santana, and has worked with such conductors as Baker, Baudo, Bay, Bergman, Davies, Jaffe, Koering, Loebel, Manahan, Massini, Schermerhorn, Stanger, Wit and Wolff.
Mr Himy began piano studies at age six, and gave his first concert at age 10. He was guest soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at age 15, going on to win numerous competitions and awards including the Gold Medal at the 1988 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, the Kosciuszko Chopin Prize in New York, and top honors in the 1991 Milosz Magin International Competition in Paris. He was hailed by critics as a "a spectacular choice" for his last-minute substitution for Pascal Rogé in a performance of the Saint-Saëns Concerto No 2 with the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra. After his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Hugh Wolff with Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the Washington Post wrote: "he used this romantic effusion to display an awesome technique and musicianship." And when Mr Himy replaced Alain Planes in a 1995 performance of Prokofiev's Concerto No 3 with the Marseilles Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Baudo, Le Provençal wrote: "Himy is not only technically brilliant, but also doses out power and lyricism equally. What a temperament and what a captivating pianist!"
Mr Himy recorded his first CD, The Art of the Piano Transcription, in France, where he was heard live on Radio France Musique. He is widely acclaimed for his interpretations of such Spanish and French masters as Albeniz, De Falla, Debussy, Poulenc, Ravel and Saint-Saëns. He honored the 125th anniversary of Ravel (2000) by performing his complete piano works, highlighted by a performance at the French Embassy in Washington, DC,of which the Washington Post wrote: "Enchanting his audience with an inspiring recital, Mr Himy matched the sense of sophistication, boldness and unequaled genius inherent in Ravel’s music and left no doubt of his musical prowess." His recital in France prompted one critic to write: "... his dazzling vision equaled and at times even surpassed some more famous interpretations (François Argerich)." Mr Himy recently recorded an all-Ravel CD for Ivory Classics (www.ivoryclassics.com).
A champion of contemporary composers, Mr Himy commissioned Gargoyles by the American composer Lowell Liebermann, and played its world premiere at his debut recital in Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The New York Times praised his performance as "flawlessly poised with elegance and brilliance." In 1999, he returned to Alice Tully Hall to play the New York premiere of American composer Marvin Schluger's Jazz Rhapsody with the New York Chamber Symphony. He performed this work in Poland with the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra during their 1999 Autumn Music Festival. Mr. Himy was also chosen by composer Yves Ramette (noted student of Arthur Honegger) to record his complete piano works and his Prelude, Fugue and Postlude with the Czech Radio Symphony in Prague under the direction of Vladimir Valek. He has been heard at several summer music festivals, performing Earl Wild's Variations on an American Theme by Stephen Foster ("Doo-Dah") with Fabio Mechetti at the Chautauqua Summer Festival and the Lukas Foss Music in the Hamptons with a rare Busoni Concerto. Mr Himy was invited by conductor Thomas Conlin, 2001 Grammy Award winner, to perform a recently restored version from manuscript of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on tour with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He recently recorded this version of Rhapsody in Blue for an all-Gershwin CD to be released in 2003.
Mr. Himy studied biochemistry and music at the University of Maryland, and received a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Thomas Schumacher, Adele Marcus and Josef Villa. Much in demand as a coach and accompanist, he has taught master classes at Princeton, the University of San Antonio, the University of San Francisco, the University of Virginia, Portland State University and the Evrons Conservatoire in France.
