Blair McMillen
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About
Blair McMillen has established himself as one of the most versatile and sought-after pianists today. The New York Times has described him as "riveting,” “prodigiously accomplished and exciting,” and one of the piano’s “brilliant young stars.” He has appeared at the Moscow Conservatory, Miller Theatre, Bard Summerscape, the Aspen Music Festival, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Caramoor, the Library of Congress, Casals Hall (Tokyo), the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton NJ, and Musica Antica e Nuova at Columbia University. Concerto performances have included the American Symphony Orchestra, the Juilliard Orchestra on a tour of Japan, the Albany Symphony, and the Zankel Orchestra in New York City. In 2006 Mr. McMillen made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist, under the baton of David Robertson.
Known for his imaginative and daring programming, Blair McMillen’s repertoire spans from late-medieval keyboard manuscripts to today’s up-and-coming younger generation of composers. Recent recitals have included performances of selections from the Codex Faenza (some of the earliest-surviving keyboard music in the world, composed in the early 15th-century), a New York recital of piano music inspired by the art of improvisation, and a “Composer Portrait” concert of music by LA Philharmonic music director/composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. His first solo CD “Soundings;” featuring music of Debussy, Scriabin, Liszt, and Bolcom; was released in 2004 to critical acclaim. Other solo recordings include “Powerhouse Pianists” (with Stephen Gosling) on Lumiere Records, “Concert Music of Fred Hersch” on Naxos, and “Multiplicities: Born in ’38” on Centaur.
Dedicated to new and groundbreaking projects, Blair McMillen is intensely committed to performing the music of today. He has premiered hundreds of pieces, and constantly works with both established and emerging composers in commissioning new works for the piano. A founding member of the composer/performer collective counter)induction, and pianist for the Naumburg Award-winning Da Capo Chamber Players, Mr. McMillen also plays regularly with the downtown-NYC based Avian Orchestra and the American Modern Ensemble. A self-taught jazz pianist, he is regularly involved in improvisation projects ranging from the straight-ahead to the avant-garde.
Raised in San Francisco and Charlotte, NC; Blair McMillen holds degrees from Oberlin College, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School. A past winner of the Aspen Music Festival’s Time-Warner Award, he won the Gina Bachauer Competition and the Sony ES Grant for Musical Excellence while studying at Juilliard. Mr. McMillen resides in New York City and serves on the piano faculty at Bard College. For more information, please visit www.blairmcmillen.com.
Artist Website
Known for his imaginative and daring programming, Blair McMillen’s repertoire spans from late-medieval keyboard manuscripts to today’s up-and-coming younger generation of composers. Recent recitals have included performances of selections from the Codex Faenza (some of the earliest-surviving keyboard music in the world, composed in the early 15th-century), a New York recital of piano music inspired by the art of improvisation, and a “Composer Portrait” concert of music by LA Philharmonic music director/composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. His first solo CD “Soundings;” featuring music of Debussy, Scriabin, Liszt, and Bolcom; was released in 2004 to critical acclaim. Other solo recordings include “Powerhouse Pianists” (with Stephen Gosling) on Lumiere Records, “Concert Music of Fred Hersch” on Naxos, and “Multiplicities: Born in ’38” on Centaur.
Dedicated to new and groundbreaking projects, Blair McMillen is intensely committed to performing the music of today. He has premiered hundreds of pieces, and constantly works with both established and emerging composers in commissioning new works for the piano. A founding member of the composer/performer collective counter)induction, and pianist for the Naumburg Award-winning Da Capo Chamber Players, Mr. McMillen also plays regularly with the downtown-NYC based Avian Orchestra and the American Modern Ensemble. A self-taught jazz pianist, he is regularly involved in improvisation projects ranging from the straight-ahead to the avant-garde.
Raised in San Francisco and Charlotte, NC; Blair McMillen holds degrees from Oberlin College, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School. A past winner of the Aspen Music Festival’s Time-Warner Award, he won the Gina Bachauer Competition and the Sony ES Grant for Musical Excellence while studying at Juilliard. Mr. McMillen resides in New York City and serves on the piano faculty at Bard College. For more information, please visit www.blairmcmillen.com.