Barber, Debussy,  Schumann, Liszt, Alabieff-Liszt,  Bach-Siloti, Chopin

Impromptu Classics is proud to present the re-release of Howard Aibel's stunning 1984 concert at New York's 92nd Street Y. The concert, recorded live, marked the 25th Anniversary of Aibel's 1959 Naumburg Award. This 50th Anniversary year is celebrated with not only this unique recording, but with concerts at New York's Merkin Hall and Carnegie Hall. This recording is now available at Amazon, CDBaby, and ITunes, among other stores. Please check back regularly for further information. 

Howard Aibel has won international acclaim as both a performer and teacher. The New York Times, reviewing a performance at Carnegie Hall, called him “a very impressive and authoritative artist.”  In Russia, where he recently delighted audiences with his performances of the Schumann and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerti No. 1, a top critic in St. Petersburg wrote:  “His playing was remarkable, evoking the memory of the golden age of piano playing.”

Aibel’s career was launched in 1959, with a highly successful New York debut as the winner of that year’s Naumburg Award.  He soon won a Fulbright Award and top prizes in the International Busoni and International Casella Piano Competitions as well, leading to highly successful tours of the United States, Europe and Mexico.  

He has since made six tours of Asia, where he performed with orchestra and in recital, and gave master classes in Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.  In a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Aibel shared the stage with his son, the gifted conductor Anthony Aibel.

 Aibel has also performed and given master classes in Dublin, Ireland; Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia; and Salzburg, Austria.  He recently performed at the Polish Consulate in New York City to raise funds for The Chopin Society of New York.  He was invited to Russia for the fourth time. He will perform, lecture and give master classes at the famed Moscow Conservatory.

Aibel graduated from the Juilliard as a scholarship student in the class of the eminent Mme. Rosina Lhevinne; later becoming her assistant for 10 years.

He is a much sought after juror at many national and international piano competitions and was recently presented with a Bravo Award at Carnegie Hall, for “Lifetime Artistic Achievement in the field of Performing Arts” by the Italian Academy Foundation. He celebrates the 50^th Anniversary of his New York Town Hall Debut, as the 1959 winner of the Naumburg Award, with a performance of the Schumann Concerto at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall in November, 2009.

Howard Aibel is listed in Benjamin Saver’s recent book The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA, and in The International Who’s Who in Music.  He has recorded for Capitol Records, TR Records and Sonar Records. This is his first CD for Impromptu Classics. Howard Aibel is a Steinway Artist.