Ratko Delorko
Encyclopedia
Ratko Delorko is a German pianist, composer, producer and conductor. He was born in Hamburg in 1959 and studied in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Munich. His concert activity has taken him to concert halls all over the world and his repertoire covers works from baroque to contemporary music.
He has recorded Gershwin’s complete piano oeuvre, Mozart piano concertos, and a live Chopin recital at the Berlin Philharmonic. He also performs at open air events, and has held a concert in the Dachstein Ice Cave in the Austrian Alps.
Delorko’s versatility is shown by his explorations of works by lesser known composers and his many first recordings of previously unknown compositions. He also plays ‘Jazz meets Classic’ concerts together with Christoph Spendel.
Ratko Delorko’s compositions include music for piano, chamber music, orchestral works and electronic music.
He has recorded a CD with the title The History of the Piano for the New Classic Colours label. This album includes selections from the baroque era to contemporary, performed on twenty different original keyboard instruments of the respective eras. This project has been expanded for performances at concert venues, and enthusiastic reviews have commended the artist for his artistic dedication linked with modern technology. He has performed and recorded two Beethoven piano concertos on several of these instruments.
Ratko Delorko currently teaches Master Classes in Europe,
the USA, and Asia.
He lectures at the Music University of Frankfurt, Germany in addition to his tour schedule.
He also writes articles and tests instruments and music software for music magazines.
He has recorded Gershwin’s complete piano oeuvre, Mozart piano concertos, and a live Chopin recital at the Berlin Philharmonic. He also performs at open air events, and has held a concert in the Dachstein Ice Cave in the Austrian Alps.
Delorko’s versatility is shown by his explorations of works by lesser known composers and his many first recordings of previously unknown compositions. He also plays ‘Jazz meets Classic’ concerts together with Christoph Spendel.
Ratko Delorko’s compositions include music for piano, chamber music, orchestral works and electronic music.
He has recorded a CD with the title The History of the Piano for the New Classic Colours label. This album includes selections from the baroque era to contemporary, performed on twenty different original keyboard instruments of the respective eras. This project has been expanded for performances at concert venues, and enthusiastic reviews have commended the artist for his artistic dedication linked with modern technology. He has performed and recorded two Beethoven piano concertos on several of these instruments.
Ratko Delorko currently teaches Master Classes in Europe,
the USA, and Asia.
He lectures at the Music University of Frankfurt, Germany in addition to his tour schedule.
He also writes articles and tests instruments and music software for music magazines.
Compositions
- Die EyJohanna EyJohanna Ey was an art dealer in Germany during the 1920s. She became known as Mutter Ey for the nurturing support she provided to her artists, who included Max Ernst and Otto Dix.-Biography:...
, OperaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
(1991) for Vocalists, ComputerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, Synthetic DrumsSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Libretto Kai Metzger, Uraufführung Düsseldorf 1991 - ..später vielleicht dann die Heimkehr (1996) Oratorium for SopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, TenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, NarratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and Synthesizer - Mörrfried-LiedLiedis a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er for BaritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and Piano after Texts from Kai Metzger (1998) - Blattspiel (1996) for OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
und Piano - Zeitklang, Zyklus for Piano I & II (1984-1987) Published by Zimmermann Frankfurt
- SonataSonataSonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
for Two Pianos (1991) - MIDI-Sonata for Audioforte-Grand, ComputerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and Synthesizer (1993) - Dorint-Suite (1997) for Piano
- Otmar Alt-Sonata (1999) for Piano
- Drei Spiele für Kinderklavier (1993)
Discography
- Gershwin, Virtuoso Piano Music on Aurophon, Sony Music, Zeitklang
- Mozart, Piano Concertos KV 413. 414. 175 as soloist and conductor on Aurophon, Sony Music, Zeitklang
- Recital I, recorded in Italy on Aurophon, Zeitklang
- New Music for Toy Piano on SST
- Beethoven Piano Concertos on Period Instruments WoO 4 and Nr. 2 on Attacca
- Chopin-Recital live from Berlin Philharmonic Hall on Zeitklang
- CD-Extra The Piano History on NCC
- Europiano: 15 Young European Pianists on Zeitklang
- The History of the Steinway Piano on Zeitklang
- DVD & CD, Jazz meets Classic Piano Duet on Zeitklang
- Recital II, recorded in the USA on Zeitklang
- Audiobook, Papillons with Reiner Schöne on Zeitklang
- Crescendo Piano History Audiobook with Students of Music University Graz