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The American harpsichordist, Lillian Gordis, was born into a family of scholars and mathematicians in Berkeley, California,. She fell in love with the harpsichord at age 9, and never looked back. She began studying the harpsichord with Katherine Roberts Perl and then Arthur Haas in New York City. Five years later, Pierre Hantaï discovered her during a tour to the USA, and, captivated by her touch, he encouraged her to move to France at age 16 to study privately with him as well as with Bertrand Cuiller and Skip Sempé. She studied at Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt, where she obtained her DEM degree in harpsichord and basso continuo (2010-2012); then at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland (2013-2014). She obtained her joint Master's degree in Musicology and Early Music Performance from the Université Paris-Sorbonne (2015-2018). In 2019, she began her Doctorat studies in Musicology and Ethno-musicology at Centre d'études supérieures de la Renaissance of Université de Tours (expected gaduation: 2022).
Hailed as ‘a Martha Argerich of the harpsichord’ (ResMusica), Lillian Gordis is known across Europe and the USA for her innovative and audacious playing. She has been compared alongside Pierre Hantaï and Ivo Pogorelich (ConcertoNet.com, Hebdoscope) and praised for her ‘sculpting of time’ (Magnétique/RTS), ‘impressive virtuosity’ and ‘intensity of touch’ (Diapason), and talent for leading listeners on an ‘expedition through unimagined worlds of color and expression’ (Fono Forum).
As a soloist, Lillian Gordis has been invited on the radio show Génération Jeunes Interprètes on France Musique and has participated in festivals in Europe and the USA, such as Sinfonia en Périgord, the Printemps de Lanvellec, Jeunes Talents, Paris Clavecin Festival, Clavecin en Fête, Festival de Richelieu, Voyage dans l’Hiver (Moulin d’Andé), Petits Concerts dans les Copeaux, L’Art de la Fugue, Oude Muziek Utrecht Fringe, and at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ, Museo Musica Bologna, and MusicSources Berkeley; she was also invited to play with the Orchestre Français des Jeunes Baroque in 2017 under the direction of Rinaldo Alessandrini and with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris under the direction of Giuliano Carmignola and Fabio Biondi with Vivica Genaux and Sonia Prina. In 2018, she formed the Duo Gordis-Hantaï with Jérôme Hantaï (viola da gamba). She maintains regular activity as a chamber musician.
Lillian Gordis' debut solo recording, "Zones" (Paraty Productions, 2019), dedicated to sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, has received a warm welcome from critics worldwide (Klassik-Highlights/Fono Forum, 4 diapasons/Diapason, ResMusica, Sélection du mois/Hebdoscope, ConcertoNet.com, Notulæ, ClassiqueHD…). she is the first woman in France in 43 years—since Blandine Verlet (Philips, 1976) - to have released a solo recording of Scarlatti sonatas on the harpsichord. She has been a featured artist on France Musique’s radio show, Génération Jeunes Interprètes, and RTS’s show Magnétique. In 2019, she made a guest appearance on PBS’s television series, Now Hear This!.
Lillian Gordis is a four-time laureate of the Fondation Royaumont (2013, 2015-2017) and is supported by the Fondation d’entreprise Safran. She performs regularly as a soloist in festivals across Europe and the United States and plays frequently with her duo partner Jérôme Hantaï. She currently lives in Paris, France. |
