2011 Pianist to perform at WCSU this week
DANBURY, CONN. — World-renowned pianist Peter Frankl will perform at Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The concert will be at noon in the Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury.
Frankl is a Hungarian-born British pianist who is recognized and respected internationally as a major artist of his generation. After studying at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and winning first prize at several international piano competitions in the late 1950s, Frankl made his concert debut in London in 1962 and his New York debut in 1967. He primarily performs music from the classical period, romantic period and early modern period. His most famous recordings include the complete works of Schumann and Debussy, and he also has recorded solo works by Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven, Bartok and other Hungarian composers.
Frankl’s successful career as a recitalist, chamber musician and soloist has won him numerous awards and has taken him to more than 50 countries. He has performed with major orchestras in Europe and North America including the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris.
In 2005 he was awarded the Middle Cross of the Hungarian Republic for his exceptional and versatile performances around the world. In 2006 he was given the title of “Honorary Professor” of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and also was awarded the “Distinguished Visitors Medal” from the University of Toronto.
Frankl has taken regular tours to Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, and has appeared in festivals all over the world. He currently is a visiting professor of piano at the Yale School of Music in New Haven, Conn., and maintains a permanent residence in London, England.
Hosted by the School of Visual and Performing Arts, the concert will be free and the public is invited. Donations to support the department of music will be accepted.
For more information, call (203) 837-8350.
Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.