Adam Kent, piano, has performed in recital, as soloist with orchestra, and in chamber music throughout the United States, Spain, Switzerland, and South America. Spanish music has been a specialty of Mr. Kent's, who has offered several all-Spanish programs at Merkin Concert Hall, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Spanish Institute, the Foundation for Iberian Music at the CUNY Graduate Center, the University of Vermont at Burlington, Twin Cities Concert Association of California, the Queens Musuem of Art, and Bruno Walter Auditorium, all in the last few seasons. He has lectured on the subject at The Juilliard School, the Mannes College of Music, the Summit Music Festival, and the CUNY Graduate Center, and many of his endeavors have won the support of the Spanish Consulate, Instituto Cervantes, and the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU.

Mr. Kent has been interviewed on the subject on John Schaefer's "Sound Check" on WNYC, and has also been featured on David Dubal's "Reflections from the Keyboard" Ion WQXR. A performance of Book I of Albéniz's Iberia suite was praised in the Indianapolis Star as "Albénizian to the core... his suave legato touch wedded to a tone with an Old World patina about it," and Excelsior of Mexico City enthused about a recent all-Halffter recital, "Adam Kent has brought not only magnificent technical ability to the music, but has managed to go beyond the printed page, delving into the essence of what the composer sought to express." Coachings with Alicia de Larrocha, Manuel Carra, and Joaquín Soriano as well as participation in the Tercer Curso de Interpretación Pianística in Santander, Spain have contributed to the pianist's understanding of the Spanish idiom. His critically acclaimed recording of the complete piano music of Ernesto Halffter was released by Bridge Records in 2001, and Mr. Kent has also developed "Spanish Music: A History," a course offered by Instituto Cervantes of New York City. Mr. Kent's devotion to the music of Spain has also extended to articles recently published in Clavier and Music in Art magazines.

Mr. Kent made his New York recital debut at Weill Hall in 1989. Among his recent orchestral appearances have been performances with the Juilliard Symphony at Alice Tully Hall, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Other appearances have included a recital at Carnegie Hall with violinist Gerald Beal and solo recitals at The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and MOMA in New York.

Winner of the American Pianists Association Fellowship and Simone Belsky Music Awards, Mr. Kent also received top prizes in the Thomas Richner, the Juilliard Concerto, and the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competitions. He is a recipient of the Arthur Rubinstein Prize and the Harold Bauer Award.

Mr. Kent received a D.M.A. from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal and served as an adjunct professor. His dissertation, "The Use of Catalan Folk Materials in the Works of Federico Mompou and Joaquín Nin-Culmell" was awarded the school's Richard F. French Prize. He holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Solomon Mikowsky. He currently teaches on the piano faculties of the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division and Concordia College and has taught a course of the history of Western Art Music at Iona College.

 

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