Jason Hardink, USA

A native of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, Jason Hardink holds the position of Symphony Keyboard at the Utah Symphony and Opera. For the past three seasons, he has served as the pianist for the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, with whom he premiered over 15 works by composers such as Thomas Osborne, Daniel Kellogg, Vache Sharafyan, Pierre Jalbert, and Stefan Freund.

Jason graduated from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, studying piano with Sanford Margolis and conducting with Louis Lane. He went on to receive his Master of Music in piano performance from Rice University, where he has recently completed his coursework toward a Doctor of Musical Arts degree as a student of Brian Connelly. He has been awarded fellowships at Aspen Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute, as well as from the Brown Foundation in Houston.

His performing interests as a soloist range from programs given on period instruments to recitals devoted to new music for piano. Performances this season include Beethoven's Concerto No. 2 with the Utah Symphony; the world premiere of Alexander Sigman's Cabanes éclatées in Berkley, California; recitals with Norwegian violinist Tor Johan Bøen featuring the music of Grieg performed on an 1853 Bösendorfer and Hardanger fiddle; and the complete cycle Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus by Olivier Messiaen.

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