Heather O'Donnell

Heather O'Donnell is an American classical pianist, currently living in Berlin, Germany. She began studying piano at the age of five, her most influential teachers were Charles Milgrim, Stephen Drury and Peter Serkin. She also worked closely with Yvonne Loriod, Emanuel Ax, and Claude Helffer. O'Donnell took several courses in Philosophy and Literature at the New School for Social Research and Columbia University, and was the teaching assistant of philosopher Paul Edwards at the New School for Social Research. [cite news | url=http://www.morgenpost.de/content/2008/03/16/feuilleton/952315.html | title=Eine fragile Pianistin mit ruppigem Repertoire | publisher="Berliner Morgenpost" | author=Volker Tarnow | date=16 March 2008 | accessdate=2008-03-08]

O'Donnell plays works from the 18th-21st century, e.g. J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, Charles Ives's- Concord Sonata, and Maurice Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit). She gave premieres of solo piano works (including pieces by Luciano Berio, Walter Zimmermann, James Tenney, Michael Finnissy, Frederic Rzewski, and Oliver Schneller). She has a strong affinity for the music of American composer Charles Ives, [cite news | url=http://www.klassik-in-berlin.de/seiten/frames-artikel-en.html?artikel/odonnell-en.html | title=Heather O'Donnell interprets Ives | publisher="Klassik in Berlin" | author=Nancy Chapple | date=March 2004 | accessdate=2008-03-08] [cite news | url=http://www.zeit.de/2004/14/M_8arzmusik | title=Yankee Doodle und Visionen | publisher="Die Zeit" | author=Volker Hagedorn | date=25 March 2004 | accessdate=2008-03-08] and has played and recorded his piano works extensively. She was the artistic director of commissioning projects including "Responses to Ives" [cite news | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0418,gann,53192,22.html | title=Call It Spectral | publisher="The Village Voice" | author=Kyle Gann | date=27 April 2004 | accessdate=2008-03-08] and "Piano optophonique". [cite news | url=http://optophoniqueeng.heatherodonnell.info/ | title=Piano optophonique | date=January 2007 | accessdate=2008-03-08]

O'Donnell moved from New York City to Berlin in November 2002. She lives in Berlin with her husband, composer Oliver Schneller. She is a Steinway Artist.

References

External links

* [http://www.heatherodonnell.info/ Heather O'Donnell's official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/heatherodonnellpianist Heather O'Donnell's MySpace page]
* [http://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/aktuell/festivals/02_maerzmusik/mm_08_programm/mm_08_programm_gesamt/mm_08_ProgrammlisteDetailSeite_9115.php Program at Berliner Festspiele's MaerzMusik Festival]