Astudiodd Eugene Asti yn y Mannes College of Music, Efrog Newydd gyda Jeannette Haien lle’r enillodd ei B.Mus. ac M.A ac yn dilyn hynny bu’n astudio cyfeilio ar y piano gyda Graham Johnson yn Guildhall School of Music and Drama yn Llundain. Mae Eugene bellach yn dysgu yn y Guildhall School of Music and Drama ac mae'n Gydlynydd Cyfeiliant Lleisiol yn Trinity College of Music, ac mae’n rhoi dosbarthiadau meistr yn y DU a thramor yn rheolaidd.
Mae’n un o gyfeilyddion mwyaf blaenllaw ei genhedlaeth, ac wedi perfformio gyda llawer o artistiaid nodedig, gan gynnwys y Fonesig Felicity Lott, Syr Willard White, Syr Thomas Allen, Angelika Kirchschlager, a'r diweddar Fonesig Margaret Price, ac mewn lleoliadau fel Neuadd Wigmore a’r Barbican yn Llundain, y Musikverein yn Fienna, Theatr Mariinsky yn St Petersburg, y Concertgebouw yn Amsterdam, y Kölner Philharmonie, y Megaron yn Athen, y Palais des Beaux-Arts ym Mrwsel, Neuadd Symffoni Birmingham a Carnegie Hall ac Alice Tully Hall yn Efrog Newydd.
Mae ei doreth o recordiadau’n cynnwys caneuon a deuawdau gan Felix a Fanny Mendelssohn a holl ganeuon Clara Schumann ar gyfer Hyperion Records. Mae recordiadau eraill yn cynnwys disg datganiad byw gyda'r Fonesig Sarah Connolly ar gyfer Signum Records, caneuon cyflawn Mozart gyda Sophie Karthäuser a Stephan Loges ar Cyprès, disg o Lieder Schumann dan yr enw Songs of Love and Loss gyda Sarah Connolly ar Chandos, datganiad o ganeuon Saesneg ar gyfer BIS gyda James Rutherford ac yn fwyaf diweddar, disg o Felodïau Poulenc Les Anges Musiciens ac Hugo Wolf Kennst du das Land, y ddau gyda Sophie Karthaüser ar gyfer Harmonia Mundi. Mae recordiadau’r dyfodol yn cynnwys disg o Felodïau Debussy gyda Sophie Karthaüser ar gyfer Harmonia Mundi a Winterreise Schubert gyda James Rutherford i BIS.
Yn 2009, dyfeisiodd Eugene gyfres o ddatganiadiau i anrhydeddu pen-blwydd Felix Mendelssohn, ar gyfer King’s Place Llundain. Mae hefyd wedi cwblhau argraffiad o ganeuon Mendelssohn i Bärenreiter a gyhoeddwyd yn 2008.
Mae ymrwymiadau diweddar Eugene yn cynnwys datganiadau gyda Sophie Karthaüser yn y Landeskonservatorium, Innsbruck yn La Monnaie, Brwsel; datganiad gyda Syr Bryn Terfel yng Ngŵyl Gerdd Dresden; datganiadau yng Ngŵyl Lieder Rhydychen a’r Spring Festivals gyda’r Fonesig Dame Felicity Lott, y Fonesig Sarah Connolly, Sophie Karthaüser, Roderick Williams, Stephan Loges a Mhairi Lawson; a rhannu’r llwyfan gyda’r pianydd Graham Johnson ac un deg saith o gantorion ifanc gorau heddiw mewn datganiad yn Wigmore Hall, Llundain.
Mae cynlluniau’r dyfodol yn cynnwys datganiadau gyda’r Fonesig Sarah Connolly, Sophie Karthaüser a James Newby yng Ngŵyl Lieder Rhydychen; datganiadau gyda Sophie Karthaüser yn Vortragssaal, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, y Kölner Philharmonie, a’r Tonhalle yn Zürich; datganiad gyda Syr Willard White yn y Barber Institute ym Mirmingham; datganiad gyda Menna Cazel yn Theatr Bryn Terfel, Pontio.
Mae Eugene yn artist swyddogol i Steinway.
Rydym yn diweddaru’n bywgraffiadau yn gyson, felly cysylltwch â ni am y fersiwn ddiweddaraf, os gwelwch yn dda.
Concerts & Recitals
Recital with Sarah Connolly at the Wigmore Hall, September 2010
The Times
. . . accompanied with perceptive insight by Eugene Asti. Asti’s stylish rippling piano accompaniment and Ms Connolly’s soaring phrases really impressed in Speak to me, my love!, building up in intensity on the phrase ‘’The day will dawn’’ and then continuing to the climactic ‘’and go on our different paths’’….
The most greatly anticipated
Concert at the Jaqueline du Pré Music Building accompanying Sophie Daneman, October 2006
Oxford
Asti's accompaniments upon the keys meanwhile, brought out its own displays of perfect timing - not least one thought within his own intriguing work Three e.e cummings songs. He had especially a lovely lucid touch, which if only life were fair would launch forth with a full appreciation of its own.
Recital at the Lincoln Center, New York accompanying Susan Gritton, April 2003
The New York Times
…matching the full-bodied playing of Ms. Gritton’s solid accompanist, Eugene Asti.
Recital with Sir Bryn Terfel in Dresden, June 2017
Freitag
The evening would not have been a success without the genius Eugene Asti at the helm. He breathed with the singer, with every twist, turn and change of style. Perfection was reached when the Schubert was added.
Recordings
Poulenc Melodies recording with Sophie Karthäuser for Harmonia Mundi, July 2014
Limelight Magazine, Australia
Eugene Asti’s piano is assured, well balanced, and the perfect complement to Karthäuser’s beautiful soprano. The pair’s rendition of Poulenc’s hit chanson sentimentale, Les Chemins de l’amour, is simply to die for. Très jolie!
Mozart Songs cyp1650 [GF], March 2008
MusicWeb-International
Eugene Asti is a pliable accompanist and the recording is first class
The Exquisite Hour Album with Sarah Connolly, February 2006
The Guardian
Eugene Asti is her sensitive, technically assured accompanist
Recording of Mendelssohn Songs & Duets with Sophe Daneman & Nathan Berg for Hyperion, November 1999
Classical Review
Mendelssohn’s writing is so masterfully handled - especially in pianist Eugene Asti’s hands – that it’s the skill and virtuosity of the composer we experience……..tossed off with breathtaking agility.
Recording of Mendelssohn Songs & Duets with Sophe Daneman & Nathan Berg for Hyperion, November 1999
Gramophone
….accompanied with delightful vitality by Eugene Asti….
Recording of Mendelssohn Songs & Duets III with Sophie Daneman for Hyperion, November 1999
Fanfare, USA
There is much to recommend in this collection. First of all, the songs themselves, some deeper than others, are sweet and forthright, and shown to their best advantage by the equally sweet and forthright playing of Eugene Asti. Displaying a remarkable ease at the keyboard and a deep sense of these pieces, he seems to be the inspiring and unifying force behind the entire enterprise
Recording of Fanny Mendelssohn Lieder with Susan Gritton for Hyperion, March 1999
International Record Review
Asti provides the beautifully limpid, balanced accompaniment you imagine Fanny herself might have played.
Recording of Fanny Mendelssohn Lieder with Susan Gritton for Hyperion, March 1999
Gramophone Magazine
In less sensitive hands than Eugene Asti’s this could sound muddy, and much else might sound merely complacent; but his clarity and feeling for rhythm and harmony obviate that.
DEBUSSY Harmonie du soir - Mélodies, with Sophie Karthäuser (soprano), Stéphane Degout (baritone) and Alain Planès (piano)
Gramophone Magazine
Asti is no less wonderful, a winning light touch to his guitar-strumming in ‘Mandoline’, while his phrasing in ‘La flûte de Pan’ is especially limpid. Two blissful hours from four winning advocates for Debussy.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Gramophone
Throughout, Eugene Asti, recorded with proper prominence, is a model partner, commentator and animator (‘accompanist’ is an insult in Wolf): subtly fluid in rhythm, hyper-sensitive to the flux of Wolf’s liquescent harmonies and conjuring textures of gossamer delicacy in songs such as ‘Frühling über’s Jahr’, with its diaphonous bell chimes, and the two elfin sketches.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Opernwelt
Belgian soprano Sophie Karthäuser is perfectly matched with pianist Eugene Asti. The two set an incomparable spontaneity. On this CD, Karthäuser and Asti present a whole new interpretation of Hugo Wolf - timelessly modern without stilted naivety. We look forward to following the two through their exploration of the song repertoire.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Basler Zeitung
Goethe’s words are placed at the heart of this recording with the musical line taking the back seat. Sophie Karthäuser has precise diction and the wordless pianist, Eugene Asti is absolutely great.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Der Neue Merker
The most perfect creation of music and poetry. Renowned pianist, Eugene Asti has a lot of experience with gifted song singers - Felicity Lott and Margaret Price to name a couple. Alone, the piano part exceeds almost all historical comparisons. Asti’s prolonged and ornamented interpretation deepens the lyrical content of the highly ornate seals.
One of the special things about this album is the equal importance given to the text and the music. The lovely team, Karthäuser and Asti, have created a delicate CD of art song that is most welcome.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Rondo Magazin
Soprano Sophie Karthäuser and pianist Eugene Asti give us a true musical blessing, an album of Goethe and Mörike poems placed to Hugo Wolf’s Lieder.
You cannot escape the wonderful, narrative atmosphere. Eugene Asti accompanies Sophie Karthäuser like a gentleman. He allows Karthäuser to bathe in Hugo Wolf’s idiosyncratic harmonies whilst keeping the upper hand over the rough syncopations.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Crescendo
Belgian soprano Sophie Karthäuser recorded this CD with pianist Eugene Asti. This setting of Goethe and Mörike poems and Hugo Wolf’s Lieder is emotionally intense and glazed with sensitivity.
Hugo Wolf: 'Kennst du das Land'. Sophie Karthäuser (Soprano) Eugene Asti (Piano)
Kurier
The Belgian soprano performs the rarely played composer Hugo Wolf. Karthäuser and Asti stylishly awaken the songs to texts by Goethe, Eichendorff and Mmorike. This is Lieder singing at its finest, excellently accompanied by Eugene Asti.
Franz Schubert's 'Schwanengesang' with James Rutherford, April 2016
American Record Guide
This is one of the best recordings of these songs I’ve heard. Both artists employ excellent pacing and expression, and both apply just the right amount of discreet rubato and dynamic variety. Asti is just as gifted in conveying the nuances of the songs. This is quite simply an outstanding lieder program.
Franz Schubert's 'Schwanengesang' with James Rutherford, April 2016
Ihr Opernratgeber by Sven Godenrath
Der Pianist Eugene Asti versteht es ausgesprochen kunstvoll, einen singenden Klavierton zu erzeugen, auf welchem die Stimme des Sängers wundervoll zum Tragen kommt. Dieser “Schwanengesang” stellt einen Höhepunkt in der Diskographie dieses Liederzyklusses dar.
(The pianist Eugene Asti understands very artfully, how to produce a singing piano tone, with which the singers wonderful voice comes to fruition. This "Swan Song" represents a high point in the discography of this song-cycle.)
