Awadagin Pratt
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Awadagin Pratt
OR:
Awadagin Pratt on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Awadagin Pratt (; born March 6, 1966) is an American concert pianist born in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
.


Life

Awadagin Pratt began piano lessons at six with Leslie Sompong and after moving to
Normal, Illinois Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal cities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and is I ...
, violin lessons at age nine. With a violin scholarship he enrolled in
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
at the age of 16, then transferred to the
Peabody Conservatory of Music The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a private music and dance conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliated with Johns Hopkins in 1977. History Philanthropist and m ...
in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
where he was the school's first student to receive diplomas in three different performance areas: piano, violin, and conducting.
Saint Paul Sunday ''Saint Paul Sunday'' is a Peabody Award-winning weekly classical music radio program that aired from 1980 to 2007, with encore broadcasts airing through 2012. It was hosted by Bill McGlaughlin for its entire run. At its height, it was America ...
July 26, 2013 In 1992 Pratt became the first
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
pianist to win the Naumburg International Piano Competition. Since then, "he has performed with nearly every major orchestra in this country he United States">United_States.html" ;"title="he United States">he United States at the Bill Clinton">Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...
White House, Obama White House and on ''Sesame Street''". Winning the Naumburg prize launched Pratt into a strenuous performance schedule, with 40 to 50 concerts that year and 70 the following year, when he signed with the
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
artist management firm
IMG Artists IMG Artists is a performing arts management company. The company manages the careers of classical and contemporary artists, dance companies, film with orchestra presentations and shows and attractions as well as produce and manage tours and events ...
.Awadagin Pratt Home Page.
/ref> In 1994 Pratt made his debut at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
with the
New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...
. In fall 2004 Pratt accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at the
University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...
College-Conservatory of Music, rising to the rank of Professor of Piano. His recital debut there came on December 1, 2005. Pratt joined the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) is a private music conservatory in San Francisco, California, United States. As of 2024, it had more than 440 students. History The San Francisco Conservatory of Music was founded in 1917 by Ada ...
in July 2023. He continues to perform up to 30 times a year across the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and abroad. A recital on March 3, 2020, drew praises for its "old-master richness." Pratt is also an experienced conductor, having led orchestras in the US and Japan.


Performance preferences

Writers often note Pratt's appearance. "Pratt takes the stage at
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
's
Jordan Hall Jordan Hall may refer to: People * Jordan Hall (writer), writer of the web series ''Carmilla'' * Jordan Hall (lacrosse) (born 1984), Canadian lacrosse player * Jordan Hall (basketball) (born 2002), American basketball player * Jordan Hall (Americ ...
in a subtle but colorful green-and-lavender striped and checked shirt. His black pants reveal a dash of whimsicality below the cuffs: socks adorned with a portrait of
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
". Among other composers whose works he has espoused are
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
,
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
,
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...
,
César Franck César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of h ...
,
Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...
,
Modest Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...
, and
Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...
.


Recordings

Pratt has released several recordings on compact disc: *''A Long Way From Normal'' (EMI, 1994), Pratt's debut album, including music of Liszt, Franck, Brahms, and Bach. The title is a reference to his boyhood home of Normal, Illinois. *''Beethoven Piano Sonatas'' (EMI, 1995), including sonatas 7, 9, 30, and 31. *'' Live From South Africa'' (EMI, 1997), which was recorded in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, including works of Bach, Brahms, Franck, and
Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
. *''Transformations'' (EMI 72435 56836, November 16, 1999), including
Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...
's
Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'' is a piano suite in ten movements, plus a recurring and varied Promenade theme, written in 1874 by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. It is a musical depiction of a tour of an exhibition of works by architect and ...
; Pratt's own transcription of Bach's
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 582) is an organ piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. Presumably composed early in Bach's career, it is one of his most important and well-known works, and an important influence on 19th- and 20th-century passac ...
; and Brahms's
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel The ''Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel'', Opus number, Op. 24, is a work for solo piano written by Johannes Brahms in 1861. It consists of a set of twenty-five Variation (music), variations and a concluding fugue, all based on a the ...
, all played on a
Bösendorfer Bösendorfer (L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH) is an Austrian piano manufacturer and, since 2008, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation. Bösendorfer is unusual in that it produces Imperial Bösendorfer, 97- and 92-Key (instrument) ...
Imperial Grand. *''Play Bach'' (Angel 2002), including Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050; Keyboard Concerti nos. 4 in A Major, BWV 1055, and 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056; and shorter works, all with a chamber ensemble performing one to a part. *''Stillpoint'' (
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
, August 2023) newly commissioned works for piano, strings (
A Far Cry A Far Cry is a Boston-based chamber orchestra. The orchestra is self-conducted and consists of 18 musicians called "The Criers". It was founded in 2007 by a group of 17 musicians in Boston. The orchestra performs in Jamaica Plain and previously ...
), and vocals ( Roomful of Teeth)


References

*(2003) Serinus, Jason V.; ''Interview with Pianist Awadagin Pratt''; (hometheaterhifi.com

*Biography at Bach-cantatas.co

*(2001-11-14); ''CFA Welcomes Acclaimed Pianist Awadagin Pratt''; The Mason Gazette (gazette.gmu.edu)

*(1995-02-16); Barron, James; ''ON TOUR WITH: Awadagin Pratt; Knowing What It Means to Solo'';
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
(nytimes.com)

*(2007-09-24); Gladstone, Valerie; ''Pratt's Triple Threat''; The New York Sun (nysun.com)

*(2008-11-15); One Voice Choru

presents ''Bringing Out the Best: Beethoven, Brahms & Burleigh'' with special guest, world-class pianist Awadagin Pratt.


External links


Official sitePratt Music Foundation
*
Awadagin Pratt Collection
McLean County Museum of History {{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Awadagin 1966 births American male classical pianists American male pianists Living people Peabody Institute alumni African-American classical pianists EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists People from Normal, Illinois Articles containing video clips 20th-century American pianists Classical musicians from Illinois 21st-century American classical pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American women classical pianists 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians