The School of Music welcomes Boris Berman, The Sylvia and Leonard Marx Professor in the Practice of Piano at Yale University. He will perform Schubert's Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959 and works by Frederic Chopin including Barcarolle, eight Mazurkas (Op. 30 and Op. 33), two Nocturnes (Op. 27) and the Polonaise–Fantaisie.
This event is free and open to the public. No ticket required.
Boris Berman regularly performs in more than fifty countries on six continents. His highly acclaimed performances have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, The Philharmonia (London), the Toronto Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Royal Scottish Orchestra. A frequent performer on major recital series, he has also appeared in many important festivals.
Born in Moscow, Berman studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the distinguished pianist Lev Oborin. In 1973, he left a flourishing career in the Soviet Union to immigrate to Israel where he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after keyboard performers. He currently resides in New Haven, USA.
A teacher of international stature, Berman heads the piano department of the Yale School of Music and conducts master classes throughout the world. He has been named an Honorary Professor of Shanghai Conservatory, of the Danish Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, and of China Conservatory in Beijing. He is frequently invited to join juries of various international competitions.
A Grammy nominee, Berman has recorded all solo piano works by Prokofiev and Schnittke; the complete sonatas of Scriabin; works by Mozart, Weber, Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Shostakovich, Debussy, Stravinsky, Berio, Cage and Joplin. Most recently, the French label Le Palais des Degustateurs released Berman's recording of Brahms’ Klavierstücke.
In 2000, the prestigious Yale University Press published Professor Berman's Notes from the Pianist's Bench, in which he explores issues of piano technique and music interpretation. The book has been translated to several languages. In 2017, Yale University Press published a revision of this book, electronically enhanced with audio and video components. In 2008, Yale University Press published Berman's Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer. Berman has also served as an editor of the new critical edition of Piano Sonatas by Prokofiev (Shanghai Music Publishing House).
In 2019–20, Professor Berman is performing and teaching in Austria, China, Holland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.
Many School of Music performances will be held in Hughes Hall Auditorium while construction to Weigel Hall is underway. Hughes Auditorium accommodates a smaller audience and allows entry only during applause. Please plan ahead.
Note that the accessible entrance is located at the North end of the building. For evening and weekend performances, the closest parking is in Arps Garage.
A new home for the School of Music
The transformative Ohio State Arts District project includes a renovated and expanded School of Music. This new facility is an investment in our future performers, music educators, conductors and scholars. To learn more, visit go.osu.edu/artsdistrict.
