photo: Lindsey Orton

Steinway Artist Hilary Demske has received widespread critical acclaim as a “pianist of rare technical finesse and musicality” (Deseret News). She regularly appears across the globe as a soloist and collaborative pianist, with American Record Guide describing her as full of “splendid panache and assurance,” and Fanfare noting that “a composer couldn’t ask for more committed or convincing performances.” 

Demske is regularly invited to perform in prestigious venues across multiple continents, including Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Tasmania, Mongolia, and Taiwan. She has performed in China regularly since 2011, appearing in over 30 cities on multiple tours.    

An avid performer of contemporary music, Demske’s piano solo discology includes Henry Martin: Selected Piano Music, Cosmology by Neil Thornock, and Benjamin Sabey’s Aspen on the album Winter Shore. She also appears on the chamber disc Lou Harrison: Works for Percussion & Violin, all on Albany Records.

Demske holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance from The University of Michigan, and an Artist Diploma (Meisterklasse diploma) from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany. Her principal teachers include Logan Skelton, Julian Martin, Margarita Höhenrieder, and Samuel Wong.

Albums

Journey For One

Release Date: October 22, 2021
Catalog Number: NV6370
Romantic
Solo Instrumental
Piano
In the nearly 200 years since its composition for voice and piano, many have tackled Schubert’s Winterreise. Steinway artist Hilary Demske, however, transforms the cycle into a series of works for solo piano on JOURNEY FOR ONE on Navona Records, focusing on the instrument’s poignant ability to represent the original composition’s lyricism and complexity. By freely experimenting with melodic fragments and manipulating the placement and length of gestures—along with translating the meaning of Müller’s poetry to music—Demske adds a fresh, unique perspective to classic repertoire.