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Students, Faculty + Alumni

Hando Nahkur ’06CERT, ’08MMA releases new CD to acclaim

February 10, 2011

Hando Nahkur's new CD, DeusExClavier, has been named a "Record of the Year" by Zeit-Online, the internet version of Germany's largest weekly newspaper: “Hando Nahkur is one of the greatest new surprises of the classical music scene… With this CD he establishes himself amongst the greatest pianists....” This was the only piano CD chosen by the website in 2010.

Germany's Piano News has also reviewed the CD favorably: "The 'official' culmination of the record is Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13. Nahkur’s interpretation rightfully holds its own even against the legendary versions by Wilhelm Kempff or Martha Argerich." A full English translation of the review is available on Nahkur's website. DeusExClavier was released in 2010 by Estonian Record Productions.

Hando Nahkur, born in Estonia, has distinguished himself as one of his country’s most outstanding young artists. He has garnered top prizes in both national and international piano competitions, including those in Estonia, Italy, Greece, Russia, USA and Canada. In 2005 Nahkur was awarded with Golden Medal of Merit (Toronto). At age sixteen, he made his debut with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Orchestra of the Estonian National Opera, Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Music High School String Orchestra, the Bergslagen Symfoniker, the St Andrew’s Festival Orchestra, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Nahkur has participated in numerous festivals, including the International Holland Music Sessions in The Netherlands, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and TCU-Cliburn Piano Institute. Hando Nahkur has also arranged many classic pop tunes for solo keyboard, including songs of D. Foster, E. John, F. Sinatra, C. Dion, F. Mercury, M. Moran, and many others. Hando studied at the New England Conservatory with Gabriel Chodos and the Yale School of Music with Boris Berman. Currently he is continuing his postgraduate studies with Tamás Ungár at the Texas Christian University School of Music. In Estonia he studied at the Tallinn Music High School and Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

A frequent solo performer, Nahkur has performed at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Theater of Markopoulos Mesogeas (Greece), Casa de la Cultura de Reynosa (Mexico), George Weston Hall (Toronto), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Steinway Hall (New York City), among many others. He has performed in twenty-two American states and in numerous European countries, as well as in Israel and Russia.