澳大利亚著名吉他演奏家

Biography

Australian born guitarist Craig Ogden is one of the most exciting artists of his generation. He studied guitar from the age of seven and percussion from the age of thirteen. His music degree (with honours) from the University of Western Australia was followed by the Royal Northern College of Music Professional Performance Diploma with Distinction; the college’s highest award for performance. In December 2004, Craig Ogden was honoured by the RNCM with a Fellowship in recognition of his achievements. He is the youngest instrumentalist to have received this award from the RNCM.

One of the new generation’s most prominent players, Craig Ogdens’ performances have taken him throughout the UK, into Europe, the USA, South East Asia, South Africa and Australia in recital, on radio and on television. In 2010, Classic FM (UK) released ‘Craig Ogden The Guitarist’ – a fascinating collection of popular guitar works, innovative arrangements of classical favourites and new works. This CD went straight into the classical chart at no.1 where it stayed for 5 weeks and went on to spend three months in the top 5. It was the second best selling UK classical album of 2010 and has sold over 25,000 copies.

In season 2011/12 he returns to the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra and will be playing with the WDR Rundfunk Orchestra in Köln the following season. Recent performances have included concertos with the Hallé Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra (world premiere of new concerto by Ciaran Farrell), City of London Sinfonia (UK premiere of Erik Esenvalds’ “Songs of Silence”) plus English Symphony. Future plans also include commercial recordings plus broadcasts for the BBC alongside a very busy schedule of recitals throughout the UK and abroad.

Ogden’s other recordings for Virgin/EMI, Chandos, Nimbus, Hyperion, Collins Classics and Sony have received wide acclaim. BBC Music Magazine dubbed Ogden “a worthy successor to Julian Bream” and his debut solo CD for Nimbus Records of 20th Century Classics by British composers was nominated for a Grammy Award. Ogden’s Virgin/EMI release, ‘A Quiet Thing’ with counter-tenor David Daniels received universal acclaim as did the duo’s USA recital tour of the Tanglewood, Ravinia and Mostly Mozart Festivals (after which Ogden was immediately invited back to perform as soloist in the New York Lincoln Centre’s Great Performers Series).

Craig Ogden has released eight recordings on the Chandos label. His recording of all three solo Rodrigo guitar concertos with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was greeted with wide acclaim and was recently selected as The One To Own in Classic FM magazine against distinguished competition including John Williams and Julian Bream. Classic CD concluded this recording to be “one of the most winning performances I have encountered” whilst Rodrigo’s daughter wrote: “This recording has confirmed your position among the greatest guitarists”. Ogden’s CD, Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières featured as high as no.10 in the classical charts and was the London Daily Telegraph CD of the week, stating “this disc is pure joy”. Selling over 10,000 discs in three months it is Chandos Records fastest ever selling CD and Ogden now performs regularly with Louis de Bernières in ‘words and music’ recitals. Of Ogden’s recording of concertos by Walton, Arnold and Berkeley with Richard Hickox and the Northern Sinfonia, Gramophone Magazine wrote “All the works in this delightful collection were inspired by Julian Bream, with Craig Ogden proving a formidable successor, matching in sensitivity and flair Bream’s own vintage recordings” while The Guardian hailed Ogden as “Brilliant and persuasive”. Ogden’s most recent recordings include a CD of the solo guitar music of British composer Paul Coles on the Nimbus label, Souvenirs with mandolinist Alison Stephens (Chandos Records) and a recital of Spanish Songs with soprano Patricia Rozario (Somm Records). Currently awaiting release is a solo CD of the music of Northern Irish composer Greg Caffrey.

Craig Ogden made his Royal Albert Hall debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez in a Classic FM Live concert and in May 2009 filled in for an indisposed John Williams at another Classic FM Live concert again playing the Rodrigo concerto. He has also performed concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia (with Vladimir Ashkenazy), Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Scottish National, Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia, Britten Sinfonia, Riga Kammermusika, St’ Petersburg Festival Orchestra, English Chamber, English Symphony, English Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, National Orchestra of South Africa, Lund Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), Tasmania Symphony, West Australian Symphony and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

Craig Ogden regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at the major London venues including the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Barbican. He has also performed at most of the main UK festivals and is the most sought after guitarist for chamber music in the UK performing with the Brodsky Quartet, London Tango Quintet, tenors Mark Padmore and Ian Bostridge, Claire Bradshaw (mezzo-soprano), Patricia Rozario (soprano), Paul Tanner (percussion), Gerard McChrystal (saxophone), Alison Stephens (mandolin) and Judith Hall (flute). Craig also frequently records for film and was featured on the British hit, Notting Hill. Ogden’s world premiere performances include a concerto written for him by Gerard Brophy (Australia) (with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), Sun Trap (for solo guitar) by Jonathan Cole commissioned by the Britten Festival, The Hinchinbrook Riffs (for solo guitar and digital delay) by Nigel Westlake and an Alec Roth song cycle for the Chester Festival. He has also given UK premieres of guitar concertos by John Corigliano (USA), Eriks Esenvalds (Latvia) and Aaron Jay Kernis (USA). Craig Ogden premiered a new solo work by Mark Anthony Turnage at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival which was also broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

In his first foray into presenting, Ogden travelled to Spain with writer Louis de Bernières to make a programme on Segovia for BBC Radio 3 which was first broadcast in February 2008. In 2011 Ogden will also present a series of interviews with artists including John Williams for ABC Classic FM (Australia).

Craig Ogden is married to British opera singer Claire Bradshaw with whom he frequently appears in concert. The duo have toured Australia and South Africa and perform regularly in festivals, for music societies and on radio in the UK. Craig Ogden is Principal Lecturer in Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Visiting Lecturer at London’s Royal College of Music.

For further information please visit www.craigogden.com