Love Derwinger

The Swedish pianist Love Derwinger is perhaps best known outside Sweden for his role as accompanist to the African-American-Swedish soprano Barbara Hendricks. He is also noted, however, as a concerto soloist, a contemporary music specialist, and as a writer. Love Derwinger (the first name is pronounced LOO-vuh, the last name dare-VING-er) was born in Sweden in 1966. He was just 16 when he made his debut as soloist in Liszt's difficult Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major. After that, he embarked on a recital career that has taken him around Europe, the Americas, Japan, and, unusually, the Middle East. Derwinger's CV as a concerto soloist includes not only Scandinavian orchestras but also the Radio Philharmonie Hannover des NDR in Germany (now the Elbphilharmonie), the Philharmonia Orchestra in Britain, and the Residentie Orkest in The Hague, Netherlands. He has also appeared at various festivals, including Stockholm New Music. Derwinger's schedule alternates between concerto appearances, solo recitals, chamber music, stints as a conductor (he led a performance of Morton Feldman's 1977 opera Neither, champion of other contemporary works), and a song accompanist. In the latter capacity he is best known for backing Hendricks, both in live recitals and on a critically acclaimed series of recordings on her Arte Verum label. Derwinger's recording catalog extends to more than 30 items. Most, including a 1993 recording of Wilhelm Stenhammar's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 1, appeared on Sweden's BIS label. The first two months of 2019 saw two new Derwinger releases: he backed violinist Sueye Park on the recital Salut d'Amour, and Hendricks on a previously recorded album of lieder by Mahler. Derwinger is the author of two books, neither of them about piano technique. Godnatt was a memoir and set of reflections in the form of a series of dialogues, while his second book, Föredraget, is described as "an anachronistic interview with Bach."