Hugo van Neck was born on July 4, 1944 in Amsterdam. Hugo began playing piano in 1951 after his father had been an old piano. After a few hours after playing Hugo everything that he ever had "saved". A teacher recognized him directly a child prodigy but a natural virtuosity on an extraordinary talent for improvisation. Yet he remained until 1966 almost entirely self-taught and studied numerous styles of music. He was strongly advised admission exam at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He chose a virtuoso examination program and brought this to the commission unanimously approved a true cause pandemonium.
Unusual, but understandable, he was following this immediately placed in the fourth year for the major in piano. Then he visited the Amsterdam Music Lyceum, where he was educated by the soloists, the educator Charles Hilsum. He followed for 2 years lessons with the pianist and composer Hans Henkemans. From 1970 to 1977 he was lecturer at the Utrecht Conservatory. He also gave in cooperation with the American opera director Rhoda Levine improvisation classes at the Dutch Opera Foundation and improvisation master classes at the Amsterdam Conservatory.
In 1975 he made his big debut in France, where he was during the music festival at Vence, garnered great success as a classical pianist, jazz pianist and improviser. With his versatility and virtuosity as a classical pianist and improviser he gained much respect from colleagues such as Jean Pierre Rampal, Maria Jao Pires, Görgy Zamphir, Martha Argerich, George Pludermacher, Daniel Wayenberg etc. In the same year he made his debut on Dutch TV with a own work for piano and orchestra, followed by several appearances in the "Fist of friend and admirer William Duys. Many times he appeared on the radio at home and abroad as a soloist but also as supervisor include Roberta Alexander, Elisabeth Kooymans and Christina Harvey. Are working (e) with Daniel Wayenberg, Ramses Shaffy, Louis van Dijk, Pim Jacobs, Thijs van Leer, Bernard Drukker, Dorothy Donagan, Mitchell Zeidwig, Jan Vayne and in particular master pianist Igor Roma (first prize at the Liszt Competition in 1996).
Bernard Drukker saw in him a unique talent for spontaneously accompany silent 'films, an art which he regularly asked. He also composes music for corporate videos, documentaries and artistic projects, some of which were broadcast on television now. He also gives workshops for companies, where he brilliantly and very surprising way his vision of the concept of inspiration and this in its own way, both verbally and musically who performs. Also in collaboration with others (eg Midas Dekkers), he uses music in a special way as a means of creating and portraying insights.
With its program "Wish Concert" made in the '90s moves towards a new kind of action, which includes verbal interludes and poetry were given a place. Hugo van Neck is considered a versatile musician with a stunning virtuosity and an astute, burlesque and romantic spirit. Godfried Bomans, whom he befriended in the sixties, she recognized in him a great affinity with the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz *, whose wing in 1994 he produced a CD. In early 1996, his CD Sunny Exposure introduced, followed by "A Tribute to Horowitz", played on the wing of the legendary master.
In May 1997, at the request of friend and admirer Freddy Heineken as a collector's item referred exclusive CD with compositions by his hand, edited and played by Hugo, and a cover with text by William Duys.
I f Freddy Heineken had not always been so busy brewing beer, he might have composed at times more than the seven ballads on this CD rather exclusive. Freddy's tunes, sometimes in close collaboration with conductor Dick Bakker, Vincent Falconce (For years Sinatra's pianist) and Herbie Hancock, one of the world's top musicians, have leg performed by quite a number of singers and instrumentalists. Virtuosity axis on this exciting disc.Insiders have known for many years Hugo van Neck That has no peers When It Comes to the Art of Improvising. Not only in Holland but all over the world. His flawless technique makes one think of Horowitz (on Whose personal Steinway van Neck was allowed to record another album), his knowledge of the great masters like Bach Enables him to play consistently the intro or "Lost on the Wind" or Rachmaninoff in "Latvian get away from here ", not to mention every other conceivable music maker. A Rumanian cimbalom for example, as in "Force Minor" But why so much praise When the listener's own ears will tell That here is a true genius at work. That with lovely musical themes come closer to champagne than beer, if Freddy does not mind me saying so. Even his friend Sinatra will agree!
William Duys Avro Radio & TV, May 1997
Han Solo invited him several times from the TV program "Solo in Music" and personally organized a recital on two wings by Hugo van Neck with Louis van Dijk in the Singer Concert Hall in Laren. Since 2006, Hugo also worked with the Czech violinist Bohuslav Zola, with whom he painted the Russian silent film "Kreutzer Sonata" by Gustave Machaty coached from 1926. (Amsterdam, September 28, 2006 Concertgebouw / Utrecht, Vredenburg January 19, 2007).
Hugo originally wanted to study medicine and as a psychiatrist analytical insight shape, but after 10 years of psychoanalysis with his friend and mentor Hans Henkemans (psychiatrist / pianist / composer), he decided partly on his advice to correct in his piano playing and virtuosity that eloquence to explain that he had in mind. His poetry and innate humor, however, betrays his love and great social feeling for others that always translates into the thinking and feeling in a large and particularly wide spectrum. He tries it might be "unspeakable" to say anyway. He therefore makes music in a way that rightly can be called unique.
Hugo gets his limitless versatility hardly characterize as a pianist. His virtuosity and perfection in mastering many musical genres and make it impossible for him in a frame. Fabulous technique combined with an unsurpassed talent for improvisation make him a star of global proportions.