Joaquín Achúcarro (Piano / Spain)
BIOGRAPHY
In October 2015, the prestigious French Magazine DIAPASON selected one of Achucarro’s
recordings as one of “THE 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL PIANO RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME”
together with legends such as Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Gieseking, Cortot, Richter,Gould, Arrau, Brendel, Argerich, Zimerman or Pollini.

Joaquin Achúcarro has been described by the Chicago Sun Times as “The Consummate Artist”.
His impeccable and modelic artistic career has earned him a reputation of the highest degreeboth nationally and internationally.
Born in Bilbao, he won in his student days a number of International Prizes in Spain, France,
Italy and Switzerland, but it was his victory in England at the 1959 Liverpool International
Competition (one year after Zubin Mehta had won it as conductor) and the rave reviews in theLondon papers after his debut with the London Symphony in the Royal Festival Hall thatmarked the beginning of his career.
Since then, Achúcarro has been enjoying an uninterrupted international career touring 61
countries performing in venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall,Concertgebouw, Kennedy Center, Musikverein, Royal Albert Hall, Salle Gaveau, Salle Pleyel,
Teatro alla Scala, Suntory Hall, Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colón and The Barbican bothplaying recitals and as soloist with over two hundred different orchestras including: Berlin
Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, La Scalaof Milan, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, Sta Cecilia di Roma, RTE Ireland, BBCSymphony, Philharmonia, Royal Scottish, City of Birmingham, Hallé, National de France,Yomiuri, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, RIAS Berlin, Tonkunstler Wien, Nacional deChile, de Mexico, de Colombia, de Venezuela and, of course, every Spanish Orchestra, undermore than 350 conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Adrian Boult, Riccardo Chailly, Sir Colin
Davis, Zubin Mehta, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Seiji Ozawa and Sir Simon Rattle.
He was named “Artist for Peace” in 2000 by the UNESCO in Paris in recognition of “hisextraordinary artistic achievement”. He is Accademico ad Honorem of the Accademia Chigianain Siena, Italy, and in his home country, Achúcarro has received the highest honours in the Arts:
the Gold Medal of Fine Arts, The National Award for Music and in 2003, King Juan Carlos ofSpain bestowed upon him the Great Cross of Civil Merit.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) named the miniplanet 2131 under Achucarro´sname as a tribute to his successful international career.
His DVD/BluRay “ACHUCARRO plays BRAHMS”, with Brahms n.2 piano concerto under Sir
Colin Davis and London Symphony (Opus Arte), obtained 5 stars all over Europe, being “Editor´s
Choice” of CLASSIC FM Magazine and rated “Outstanding” by the INTERNATIONAL RECORDREVIEW (both in London), immediately climbing to the top of the Bestsellers and Hot New
Releases charts in amazon.com.
A few months later, Euroarts released Achucarro´s new DVD/BluRay ”FALLA and FRIENDS”
playing Falla Nights in the Garden of Spain with Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle atthe Philarmonie Hall in Berlin, also received with great acclaim.
Last year, Sony has reissued his famous GOYESCAS by Granados and his Falla CD withLondon Symphony and conductor Eduardo Mata.
Achúcarro rewrote and recorded also for SONY his own revision of Joaquin Rodrigo’s PianoConcerto. He has prize-winning recordings of de Falla, Granados, Ravel and Brahms with BMGRCA, Claves and Ensayo. Other recordings include music by Schumann, Schubert, Chopin,Beethoven, Debussy, Bartok, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Turina and Hermann.
Since August 1989 he holds the Tate Chair at Southern Methodist University in Dallas
adjusting his teaching periods to his busy concert schedule.
In 2008, the “Joaquin Achucarro Foundation” was created by a group of individuals andinstitutions from the Dallas community “to perpetuate his artistic and teaching legacy” and tohelp young pianists at the outset of their careers.
Official Website http://www.achucarro.com/