Saturday, February 18, 2017

NewsAdvance.com: Thumbs up to officials at Randolph College, and especially the school’s music department, for bringing one of the world’s great pianists to Lynchburg


Awadagin Pratt performed in Lynchburg, Virginia


By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Thumbs up to officials at Randolph College, and especially the school’s music department, for bringing one of the world’s great pianists to Lynchburg last Saturday.
And the best thing? It was a free concert.
Awadagin Pratt, currently an assistant professor of music and artist in residence at the Univeristy of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, is a pianist of great power and enormous range who infuses his music with deep emotion. He’s also a groundbreaking musician in the classical world: In 1992, he burst onto the scene by becoming the first African-American pianist to win the 91-year-old Naumburg International Piano Competition in New York City. Since then, he’s gone on to perform with virtually every major orchestra in the world, recorded many critically acclaimed CDs and perform at the White House three times, twice for former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton and once for former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in 2009. 

And here he was in Lynchburg, the guest of Randolph College with a free recital for the entire community.

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