"I never feel better and can never express myself more freely than when I play a Bechstein."
Till Engel
Till Engel was born in Basel in 1951. The "Lexikon des Klaviers" (Laaber Verlag, 2006) describes him as a "proponent of a piano aesthetic that places special emphasis on the intellectual penetration of the work against the backdrop of a fine-tuned tonality".Engel studied in Hanover under professors Berhardt Ebert (piano), Heinrich Sutermeister (composition), Wilhelm Kempff and Alfred Brendel. He was awarded a number of prizes, including the Silver Medal at the prestigious Concours de Genève. His career as a concert pianist has taken him all over Europe, the Middle East, North America and, in 2006, to China for the first time. Till Engel has been a professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen since 1975 and regularly teaches master classes all over the world.
He is also a popular jury member at national and international competitions. Moreover, he has recorded a number of CDs, in particular during broadcasted concerts. His large, versatile repertoire includes contemporary music and focuses on works by Franz Schubert.
Till Engel talks about his passion for C. Bechstein instruments:“The new Bechstein concert grand pianos and their clear and soft, yet opulent and powerful voice, are exciting. These instruments boast a wealth of nuances, even at the limits of the dynamic spectrum, offering nearly unlimited possibilities for colourful, polyphonic and exquisitely refined interpretations. I have played all styles of music on Bechstein pianos, from Classical and Romantic to Impressionist and contemporary works. These concert grands have always managed to satisfy my every demand. Moreover, I would like to emphasise the absolute perfection of their action assembly, down to the outmost pianissimo. And when you play fortissimo, which is almost easy on a Bechstein, you never produce a metallic sound. It’s always a great pleasure for me to enter a concert hall and find a Bechstein on the stage. I never feel better and can never express myself more freely than when I play a Bechstein.”
