SaleemAshkar

/
  • Piano

About Saleem

Saleem Ashkar’s recent and future concerto highlights include the Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Lyon, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, Konzerthaus Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Copenhagen Philharmonic.


Previous seasons have seen him perform with the Deutsche's Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Helsinki Philharmonic, the Detroit, St Louis, Vancouver and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony orchestras and on a three-week tour to Australia. Saleem has a close relationship with many leading conductors including David Afkham, Daniel Barenboim, Jakub Hrůša, Pietari Inkinen, Fabio Luisi, Kazushi Ono and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.


A dedicated recitalist and chamber musician, Saleem has a particularly strong reputation as a Beethoven specialist and has performed a complete Sonata cycle in Prague, Duisburg and at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Recent and future highlights include recitals at Oslo Opera House, Wigmore Hall in London, Queen’s Hall in Copenhagen, Milan Verdi Conservatory Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Boulez Saal Berlin and Musikverein Vienna.


Saleem’s most recent recording for Decca Records was a complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle. The final volumes were released in the 2022/23 season.


Saleem is Artistic Director of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, formed of young and professional musicians to encourage collaboration between the Arab and Jewish communities in Israel. Saleem works with the orchestra both as conductor and soloist. In March 2022, they made their debut at Carnegie Hall in a programme with Joshua Bell as soloist and at Koerner Hall, Toronto. Recent engagements included a highly-acclaimed European tour, which included performances at Konzerthaus Berlin and Rheingau Festival.

Saleem is based in Berlin

Download programme biography   

Contact

For Sales & Enquiries:

Rachel Bertaut

Rachel Bertaut

Senior Artist Manager

For contracts, logistics and press:

Tia Ling

Tia Ling

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

General Management with Askonas Holt Partner Managers: Germany, Switzerland, Austria: Impresariat Simmenauer Japan: Pacific Concert Management, Hiromi Tanaka South America: Conciertos Grapa, Carlos Grynfeld Italy: Cesare Venturi Spain: Atalanta Artists

Follow Saleem

Season Highlights

Oct 2024
Orchestre National de Lyon
Mozart Piano Concerto in C minor Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider (conductor)
Jan 2025
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 Nicholas McGegan (conductor)
Feb 2025
Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 Ariane Matiakh (conductor)
Feb 2025
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Mozart Piano Concerto in C minor David Afkham (conductor)
Mar 2025
The Black Diamond, Copenhagen
The Henschel Quartet Christoph Henschel, violin Markus Henschel, violin Monika Henschel, viola Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj, cello Clara Schumann: Piano trio Eric Nathan: Dream Scenes Wang Lu: Schumann Robert Schumann: Piano Quintet

Video

Audio

  • Mendelssohn Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2
    Credit: Decca
  • Beethoven Sonata No. 3, movement 1
    Credit: Decca
  • Beethoven Sonata No. 14 Moonlight, movement 3
    Credit: Decca
  • Beethoven Sonata No. 30
    Credit: Decca

Photos

Download high resolution images

Selected Repertoire

Bach

Concerto No. 3 in D major BWV 1054   •   Concerto No. 5 in F minor BWV 1056

Beethoven

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15   •   Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op. 19   •   Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor Op. 37   •   Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58   •   Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat Major, "Emperor" Op. 73   •   Fantasy in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra Op. 80

Berg

Chamber Concerto

Brahms

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15   •   Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op. 83

Chopin

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11

Falla

Nights in the Gardens of Spain

Gershwin

Piano Concerto in F

Grieg

Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16

Mendelssohn

Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 25   •   Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor Op. 40   •   Rondo Brilliant in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra Op. 29

Mozart

Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major K. 271   •   Piano Concerto No. 10 in E-flat major K. 365   •   Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major K.414   •   Piano Concerto No. 13 in C major K.415   •   Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major K.449   •   Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major K.453   •   Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major K. 459   •   Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K.466   •   Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major K.467   •   Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major K.482   •   Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major K.488   •   Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor K.491   •   Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major K.503

Rachmaninoff

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18

Ravel

Piano Concerto for the left hand in D major

Saints-Saens

Africa, Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 89   •   Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major Op. 103

Schumann

Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54

Strauss

Burleske in D minor

Tchaikovsky

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23   •   Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major Op. 44

Sample Programmes

  • Schumann and his world

    Robert Schumann and the Schumann household were a source of inspiration in the German Romantic music scene. The musical cosmos of perhaps the most fantastic and literary composer, his piano literature, chamber music, songs and literary works will be interwoven in a project over three evenings. Program 1: Schumann: Fantasy in C, Op. 17 David Robert Coleman: "Schumann" Brahms: Piano Sonata in f minor Op. 5 Program 2: Mendelssohn Songs without words R. Schumann "Frauen Liebe und Leben" Eric Nathan "Schumann" Clara Schumann piano Trio Op. 17 Program 3: Brahms Piano Quintet op.34 Wang Lu " Schumann" Schumann Piano Quintet op.44

News

Press

  • Musical Bridges Recital

    Manzoni Auditorium, Bologna
    Mar 2023

    • We are faced with a meticulous sound craftsman and a great artist. Saleem Ashkar polishes each note with pumice stone until it sparkles. Every single sound shines with a brilliant brilliance. It is a succession of perfect sound marbles, one after the other, as in a cascade of pearls bouncing on the floor. Each note is intelligible, linked to the previous and the next as if none of those impulsive rebounds were given to chance.

  • Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor

    Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
    Jan 2022

    • Ashkar’s playing was outstanding — rhythmically solid and supple, with crystalline phrasing and no fat, no excess, in his sound. For a concerto that seems to attract kitsch and glitter, his approach made it sound clean and modern. [...] In the cadenza, near the end of the opening movement, Ashkar made the flamboyant Lisztian declaration of the main theme heroic and triumphant, but with an undercurrent of self-doubt. For all the grandiosity, you could feel his inward contemplation. Throughout the concerto, Ashkar found these sorts of new facets, and rarely plumbed depths, in this familiar music.

  • Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 2

    St Louis Symphony Orchestra
    Jan 2020

    • The lovely melodies from the composer seem to flow from his head down to his fingers in such a way that, as the program notes, he seems to have three hands… nobody does Mendelssohn better than Ashkar.

  • Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor

    Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Oct 2018

    • Grieg’s Piano Concerto drew a powerful [...] account from Saleem Ashkar [Ashkar brought a] Mozartean clarity with a diamond-bright tone at the forefront of his armoury.

    • Saleem Ashkar delivered a poised and pleasingly nuanced performance of the ever-popular Grieg Piano Concerto. I was particularly appreciative of Ashkar’s delicacy and sensibility through the lovely Adagio central movement.

  • Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1

    Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
    Sep 2017

Discography