Stephen Hough

“You get to a certain age when you don’t care so much what people think about you, and that’s one of the great things about getting older.”

Named by The Economist as one of "20 Living Polymaths," Stephen Hough has appeared with almost all of the major European and American orchestras. In 2001, he became the first classical performing artist to win a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship, had a solo exhibition of his paintings at the Broadbent Gallery in London in 2012, and was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2014.

He describes his diverse creative projects, the non-linear progress of learning, how to deal with success and failure, the artist’s role as an outsider, and his own perspective on the state of human rights in the world.

This interview took place at Steinway Hall in Manhattan. Since its opening in 1925, the Hall has been a landmark destination for music enthusiasts, piano students and professionals throughout the world.

Episode 9

Running time: 40 minutes

Posted on February 1, 2015 .