Young American pianist Orion Weiss, who has often been compared to his celebrated Juilliard School teacher, Emanuel Ax (who’ll be at Union in the winter), comes to Memorial Chapel as part of the Chamber Concert Series Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m.
The program includes Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, Copland’s Piano Variations (1930), and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 12 in A flat, Opus 26 (Funeral March) and Sonata No. 28 in A, Op 101.
At 26, Weiss is already one of the most sought-after musicians in his generation, known for his performances that go beyond technical mastery and dazzle audiences, critics and colleagues in a wide range of repertoire and formats.
The Ohio native attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and made his Cleveland Orchestra debut in February 1999 when he was still in his teens. A month later, with less than 24 hours’ notice, he stepped in to replace André Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
The 2004 Juilliard graduate has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic and has toured Israel with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman. This season, in addition to his Union performance, he brings his keyboard virtuosity to the Pittsburgh Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra and Detroit Symphony.
According to The Los Angeles Times, “He’s clearly a pianist to watch.”
The concert is free for the Union College community, $20 for general admission and $10 for area students and seniors. For tickets, call 388-6080; for more information, call 372-3651 or visit http://www.union.edu/ConcertSeries.