ASU - Jonesboro:  Lecture-Concert Series
presents pianist Robert Henry Nov. 30

Nov. 2, 2009 -- Pianist Robert Henry is the featured performer in the seventh event of Arkansas State University’s Lecture-Concert Series. The solo recital is Monday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive. The event is free and open to the public.

Robert Henry is an internationally distinguished pianist who has been hailed as a “consummate artist- brilliant, formidable, effortless, and the epitome of control and poise.” Born in Atlanta, he began his musical studies at age seven, and developed a passion for the stage and studio, performing throughout the world as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician, sharing the stage with artists such as conductors Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles, and Stefan Sanderling, cellist Shauna Rolston, the Pacifica Quartet, soprano Mary Ann Hart and tenor Sergio Blazquez. Possessing the rare combination of insight, inspiration, and an amazing technique, his artistry continues to touch and electrify audiences across the world.

Career highlights include solo debut recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Strathmore Hall, with critics praising his “flawless technique, smooth and limpid phrasing, exciting programming,” finally announcing “a triumphant debut from an artist of major import!” Of his recent major orchestral debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Journal Constitution claimed Robert as “…an accomplished musician, versatile and elegant…he elevated the concerto to a poignant statement.”  He performed the opening concert for 2004 Music Teachers National Association National Convention, and has presented concerts under the auspices of American Pianists Association and Chopin Foundation of America. As accompanist, he toured with the Grammy-winning Atlanta Boy Choir under the direction of Fletcher Wolfe, and he has accompanied the master classes of eminent artists Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade, and Håkan Hagegård. Henry will soon present his London debut in prestigious Wigmore Hall.

Henry has enjoyed success in nearly every important piano competition in the world, winning the gold medal in four international piano competitions in the 2001-2002 season alone. These prizes stand alongside 14 other first place awards received throughout his career. On three occasions, juries have spontaneously created special prizes to honor his performances. He was a laureate of the 2003 Seiler International Piano Competition (Germany), and he was recognized in the 2003 Leeds International Piano Competition (England), arguably the world’s most revered competition.

A recently named Steinway Artist, he has earned a reputation for giving stunning performances of the most demanding repertoire, and for presenting overlooked masterpieces to the public, from Bach to Boulanger. One New York critic noted that the “…Chopin-Godowsky Etudes were beautiful beyond description. His sound brings to mind the great pianists of the past, for whom beauty of tone was integral to the structure of the phrase.” In response to Hurricane Katrina, he coordinated and performed in the 2006 ‘Pianists for New Orleans’ tour of the United States, and for these efforts, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans. Future projects include a 2009 debut recording of Nocturnes, with other recordings to follow, including the complete piano music of the late American composer Robert Helps.

Henry has earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland. He has studied closely with pianists Larissa Dedova, Anne Koscielny, David Watkins, Sergei Babayan, and Andre Watts. As an educator and pedagogue, Mr. Henry presents lectures, master classes, youth concerts, has been featured in American Music Teacher, and he operates an exclusive private studio in Atlanta, Georgia. He serves as Artist-in-Residence at Kennesaw State University. Robert and his wife Meryl make their home in the mountains of Jasper, Georgia. He maintains his web presence at http://roberthenry.org/.

To listen to free MP3 downloads of Henry’s music, visit http://roberthenry.org/biography/, and click on the media player.

For more details, contact Dr. Gil Fowler, associate dean for the Honors College, at (870) 972-2308, or via e-mail at gfowler@astate.edu.The Lecture-Concert Series presents diverse programs to enrich the cultural life of the campus, community, and region.
--ASU Public Relations student intern Sara Hulett is responsible for writing, editing, and online design and formatting of this release.
 

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