Guest Artists and Masterclasses
Guest Artists
Edmund Battersby
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The New York Times has described Edmund Battersby as a pianist of uncommon refinement. His playing technically assured, rhythmically firm, temperamentally straightforward, and infused with considerable poetry is a joy. (Musical America).
As a soloist with orchestra, Edmund Battersby has been heard in recent seasons with the Pittsburgh Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Mexicos Symphony Orchestra of Guadalajara and the National Orchestra of Chile in Santiago.
An active recitalist, Mr. Battersby made his London recital debut at Wigmore Hall and his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall. His many tours have taken him to major cities in the United States, Europe, Great Britain, the former Soviet Union, and Africa. He is consistently re-engaged at festivals throughout the United States and Europe including the Library of Congress Summer Festival in Washington, D. C., Lincoln Centers Mostly Mozart Festival, the Bard Festival, the Rutgers University Summerfest, and major French festivals (under the sponsorship of Festival de La Gesse and Pan Europe of the new European Economic Community) including Musique dEt?n Toulouse and other French cities such as Montpellier, Boulogne-sur-Gesse, and Limoges. Mr. Battersby has also performed at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.
Edmund Battersby is a versatile chamber musician who has collaborated with such noted instrumentalists as violinist Elmar Oliveira, cellist Carter Brey, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Manhattan Quartet and the American chamber Players. In this genre he has performed the standard ensemble repertoire and premiered the performed many challenging new works by composers including George Crumb, George Rochberg, Olivier Messiaen, Eliott Schwartz and William Bolcom.
Throughout his career, Edmund Battersby has been fascinated with historic models of the early piano and his involvement in turn has enriched his understanding of the tonal possibilities of the modern instrument. His interest has led to his premiere recording of the works of Schumann and Chopin on a replica of Conrad Grafs Viennese Pianoforte (c. 1825) on the Musical Heritage label, and special recitals at New Yorks Frick Collection performing on the Graf piano. In addition, Mr. Battersby was invited to play an 1854 French Erard piano belonging to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria at its United States premiere at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Edmund Battersbys recordings have received critical praise and his discography continues to grow. His first recording on the Koch International label (featuring Enrique Granados Goyescas) was short-listed for a 1991 Grammy Award. In February, 1993, his recording of Rachmaninoffs selected Preludes and Etudes-Tableaux was released on the same label. Mr. Battersby can also be heard on George Rochbergs Piano Quintet with the American Chamber Players on the Koch International label.
Edmund Battersby is a member of the faculty at the School of Music, Indiana University-Bloomington. He studied at Juilliard School, where he received the prestigious Alumni Award upon graduation. His teachers include Barbara Holmquest, Artur Balsam, and Sascha Gorodnitzki.