Simon Mulligan - Percy Grainger: Solo Piano Works, Vol. 1 (2023)

The singular pianist Simon Mulligan begins a survey of Percy Grainger’s complete piano music on the Steinway & Sons label. This first volume includes heartfelt performances of Grainger’s most beloved melodies and folksong settings.

British pianist Simon Mulligan is, according to The Times of London ‘the most abundantly gifted of pianists’, to Steinway & Sons he is ‘the world’s most versatile pianist’; Pulitzer prizewinning composer Paul Moravec calls him ‘a pianist with complete mastery of the instrument’, while Herbie Hancock says ‘You have a phenomenal touch, man!’ In addition to his extensive discography and vast repertoire, Mulligan’s solo work gains praise from critics and audiences alike, and his collaborations include performances and recordings with Yehudi Menuhin, Joshua Bell, Leonard Slatkin and Sting.

He has performed all over the world, most notably at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, as well as private performances for Her Majesty the Queen and President Barack Obama. His keen interest in film composition led to a long association with composer Michael Kamen, culminating in his performance on the soundtrack to Spielberg’s Band of Brothers. He has led his own jazz quartet since he was thirteen, which has performed in major international festivals. His eclectic work has led to profiles in Downbeat, JazzTimes, BBC Music, Classic fM, and Gramophone magazines, among others.

Simon is a recipient of the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music, and his teachers include Alexander Kelly, Murray Perahia, Alfred Brendel and Alexis Weissenberg.

Tracklist
01. Grainger: Country Gardens
02. Grainger: Handel In The Strand
03. Grainger: Children's March "Over the Hills and Far Away
04. Grainger: Harvest Hymn
05. Grainger: Mock Morris
06. Grainger: The Gum-Suckers March
07. Grainger: Molly On The Shore
08. Grainger: Spoon River
09. Grainger: Walking Tune
10. Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry
11. Grainger: Shepherds Hey
12. Grainger: Colonial Song