JOSEP COLOM
SPANISH-CATALAN PIANIST (b 1947)

Josep Colom began his piano studies with his aunt in Barcelona, then in Paris at the École Normale de Musique.  This was followed by several first prizes in major competitions, and a debut in Paris in 1979.  The recordings began in 1982.  He recorded the complete works of de Falla in 1989, the complete works of Mompou, the Brahms concerti and variations, and so on.  He has toured the world, performing with conductors of the stature of Sir Alexander Gibson, Sergiu Comissiona, Arpad Joó, Franz-Paul Decker, Eliahu Inbal and Enrique García Asensio, given masterclasses in Spain, Switzerland and France, and served on the jury of a number of major competitions, including the International Chopin Competition, And I had not heard of him until today.

But what a pianist is Josep Colom, what delicacy of tone he has.  He playes as naturally as I breath.  His is the rare ability to play Chopin and Brahms, Debussy and Ravel, de Falla and Mompou, all just so. And we are fortunate to have his recordings of the great piano works of Franck.

Joesp Colom is also an ardent chamber musician.  There are fine readings of the Brahms Op 114 clarinet trio, the Ravel posthumous violin sonata, and the 3rd Beethoven cello sonata, a performance he stepped into as a last minute replacement for the scheduled pianist who was otherwise indisposed.

In a just world . . . but I digress.

Manuel Blasco de Nebra (1750-1784)  Adagios from various sonatas

[unidentified sonatas]