Internationally acclaimed pianist Awadagin Pratt will perform at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) as part of an artist residency from December 4-8. Pratt’s visit is a result of a collaboration between NYUAD’s Music Programme, The Institute and The Arts Center.
The pianist will perform his UAE debut with a piano recital on December 5, at 8pm at The Red Theater at The Arts Center, where audiences will experience an evening of masterworks for solo piano featuring Opus 110 by Beethoven, Prelude Chorale Fugue by Franck and Piano Sonata in B Minor by Liszt.
Pratt’s artist residency at NYUAD will also include a piano masterclass on December 4, at 7pm, which will be held in The Blue Hall at The Arts Center. During this master class, he will work with three NYUAD student pianists in the presence of an invited audience, providing insights into his musicality and technical approach.
Pratt will also deliver a lecture-recital entitled ‘Haven’t I Heard This Before? How Music Is Recycled in Piano Works by Beethoven, Franck, and Liszt’ at The NYUAD Institute on December 8, at 6.30pm. The lecture will explore the musical forms used by Beethoven, Franck and Liszt, as well as how musical form is critical to the formation of memory.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, Pratt is recognised for his musical insight and performances with symphony orchestras. At the age of 16, he enrolled at the University of Illinois; he went onto graduate from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas — piano, violin and conducting. Since then, he has performed in nearly every major orchestra in the United States as well as at the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, and the NJ Performing Arts Center. Pratt also performed in the East Room of the White House in November 2009.
Pratt’s December 5 show is ticketed and priced at Dh100, while the masterclass and lecture are by registration. Go to nyuad-artscenter.org.
