Anton Nel

Pianist Anton Nel, winner of the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition, pursues an international career as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. His performances also encompass fortepiano and harpsichord, reflecting an interest in the expressive possibilities of keyboard instruments across periods.

Nel has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Seattle, and Detroit symphonies. His recital engagements have taken him to London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, as well as venues throughout North America, Asia, and his native South Africa. Chamber music is an equally important part of his work, with festival appearances on four continents.

At the University of Texas at Austin, Nel holds the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair in Piano. His teaching has also included Manhattan School of Music, master classes at Toronto’s Glenn Gould School, and summer appointments at Aspen, Orford, and Ravinia’s Steans Institute.

Born in Johannesburg, Nel studied with Adolph Hallis at the University of the Witwatersrand and continued his training with Béla Siki and Frank Weinstock at the University of Cincinnati. His recordings include solo and chamber repertoire and works for piano and orchestra by Franck, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, and Edward Burlingame Hill.