Hyperion Bio

BIO

A native of California, pianist HYPERION KNIGHT is a soloist and recording artist, whose performances are known for both their artistic breadth and personal flair.

Hyperion Knight made his New York City orchestral debut with the Jupiter Symphony, playing Saint-Saëns rarely heard Piano Concerto #1. Other recent guest soloist appearances include the Cleveland Philharmonic, Kansas City Philharmonia, Maui Pops Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Long Beach, New Jersey, New Mexico, Santa Fe and Utah. December 2006 heard his debut recital tour of Japan, performing in Tokyo, Nagoya and Sapporo. Drawing on his extensive repertoire of both popular standards and serious classics, Mr. Knight has also appeared as a featured entertainer at Manhattan’s famed Rainbow Room and the elegant Essex House.

Hyperion Knight graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music at the age of 19. Three years later, he had earned both a Master’s and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music, which honored him with its Arthur Loesser Award upon graduation. He subsequently moved to New York City for private studies with members of the faculty of The Juilliard School. Among his teachers are Paul Schenly, Eunice Podis and Jerome Lowenthal.

Hyperion Knight is acclaimed for the diversity of his repertoire and recordings, ranging from Beethoven to Stravinsky and Gershwin to the Beatles. Stereophile magazine called his Gershwin by Knight album “a recording that could almost serve as a primer for the qualities of rhythmic and dynamic grace,” while his recording of romantic piano transcriptions, The Magnificent Steinway, was welcomed as “one of the most enjoyable CD’s of recent years” by CD Review. Mr. Knight has also recently made his conducting debut on Rhapsody, an album of Gershwin works for piano and orchestra.

With an informed passion for the great performers of the past, Hyperion Knight is a recognized authority on historical recordings, and has published numerous articles about the great pianists and conductors of the Twentieth Century.

"Not since Heifetz has anyone played Gershwin solos with this much panache. The songs glitter like jewels against black satin."
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

"Hyperion Knight plays with marvelous verve and spectacular confidence. Notes are never fumbled or blurred, yet the performance has swing and drive."
STEREOPHILE

"The biggest treat of the afternoon was the return of pianist Hyperion Knight playing Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. Knight has a caressing, liquid touch. His hands skim over the keys, creating a shimmering sound as if the keyboard were ice and the musician the skater. At the same time, each note was articulated, crystalline."
THE MAUI NEWS

"Breathtakingly textured, rich and wonderful, this recoding [Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition] showcases Hyperion’s world-class style at the keyboard."
THE ABSOLUTE SOUND

"I defy you not to smile along with Hyperion as he romps through Irish jigs, Viennese waltzes and his own transcription of the Pachelbel Canon, which restores dignity and interest to that overdone staple of Baroque bands."
THE AUDIO ADVENTURE

"Hyperion Knight played with intoxicating élan, brilliant dexterity and a shimmering nuance that made his account of the Saint-Saëns concerto worthy to stand alongside the masterful authority of Jeanne-Marie Darré’s classic EMI recording. This was most definitely the work of a Knight in high pianistic attitude."
NEW YORK CONCERT REVIEW