Biography
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Hailed as a “heroic virtuoso,” Mark Salman's performances have been described as “powerful,” “astonishing, exacting and evocative,” “dramatic,” “wildly imaginative” and “touchingly lyrical.” Of his performance of Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata one authority stated, “there are probably only five or six pianists in the world who can play [it] as perfectly.” His performance of Liszt’s transcription of the Beethoven Seventh Symphony closing his 2004–2005 Liszt series was named one of the three “Performances of the Year” for 2005 by the Seattle Weekly.
Mr. Salman’s performances have taken him to Europe, Asia, Canada and throughout the United States. He has performed in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, has been the subject of profiles in The New York Times and has been featured in numerous radio and television broadcasts in the U.S. and in China. His account of his meetings with and playing for Vladimir Horowitz appears in David Dubal's book, Evenings with Horowitz. Mr. Salman is a co-founder of the Delmarva Piano Festival in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which recently completed its seventeenth season. Mr. Salman is a Steinway Artist.
Performances in recent seasons have included his debut at the Newport Music Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, an eight recital series devoted to the Piano Music of Franz Liszt in Seattle, three recitals featuring Schubert’s final three sonatas, and a complete cycle of Beethoven’s five piano concertos and Choral Fantasy with Orchestra Seattle. In the 2009–2010 season, in addition to numerous recital, concerto and chamber music performances, he presented A Chopin Celebration, a series of three recitals in Seattle celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth.
Besides his wide–ranging repertoire, Mr. Salman is perhaps best known for his expertise on Beethoven, having performed the complete cycle of the thirty-two piano sonatas on both coasts as well as in 18 broadcasts on KING–FM in Seattle. Currently in production is Beethoven and his 32 Piano Sonatas — A Musical Universe, a sixteen–part video series featuring Mr. Salman’s performances of the complete sonata cycle, hosted by the noted author and commentator, David Dubal. DVD volumes one and two have recently been released on the Great Composers label, www.greatcomposers.us.
Mr. Salman's recordings include two all–Chopin CDs, including his newest release, Chopin’s Intimate Art: The Mazurkas, as well as Mozart’s Piano Concertos K. 488 and K. 503 with the Northwest Sinfonietta, Transcendental Piano, featuring works by Alkan, Beethoven and Liszt, and American Interweave, featuring contemporary American works for cello and piano. Soon to be released are two recordings of Beethoven sonatas and one of late Schubert sonatas. Also available in limited release are the first four live performances from his 2004–2005 Liszt Concert Series and his Beethoven concerto performances with Orchestra Seattle.
Mr. Salman is a native of Connecticut, where he began his studies at the age of eight and made his recital debut at eleven. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he studied with Richard Fabre and Josef Raieff. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years, where he concentrated on chamber music and composition, studying with the noted composer, John Harbison.