HK Gruber - Piano Concerto; Short Stories from the Vienna Woods; Castles in the Air (Frank Dupree)

Information

Composer: HK Gruber

• Piano Concerto
• Short Stories from the Vienna Woods
• Castles in the Air

Frank Dupree, piano

ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

HK Gruber, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CapriccioNR

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Now in his eighties, HK Gruber remains a vital and influential figure in contemporary musical life, both in Austria and internationally. As a composer, chansonnier, and educator, he is renowned for works of striking originality, combining intellectual depth with a distinctive sense of irony and humour. His music avoids academic abstraction, instead engaging audiences through vivid expression and emotional immediacy. Drawing freely on a wide range of historical styles and genres, Gruber has forged a highly personal and unmistakable musical voice. In pianist Frank Dupree and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, he has found ideal collaborators who bring his unique musical language to life with clarity and conviction.

Heinz Karl "HK" Gruber, born in Vienna in 1943, is a composer, conductor, and chansonnier whose distinctive, theatrically inflected style has earned international recognition. A former Vienna Boys’ Choir member and long-time double bassist with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, he co-founded the avant-garde “MOB art and tone ART” ensemble. His works have been commissioned by major orchestras, and his concertos for artists such as Håkan Hardenberger, Yo-Yo Ma, Colin Currie, and Emanuel Ax are widely performed. An active conductor, he has appeared with leading ensembles worldwide. Renowned as a chansonnier, especially for Frankenstein!!, he continues to premiere new works and maintains a substantial discography.

Frank Dupree (born 1991 in Rastatt) is a German pianist, conductor and composer. Trained at the University of Music Karlsruhe, he gained early recognition through competition successes, including the Hans von Bülow Competition and the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb. Dupree performs internationally, collaborating with leading orchestras and appearing at major festivals and concert halls worldwide. An award-winning recording artist, he is particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of Nikolai Kapustin. Since 2023, Dupree has served as Artistic Partner of the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn.