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Born in Pittsburgh, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano at the age of six. Three years later, having moved to Normal, Illinois with his family, he also began studying violin. At the age of 16, he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school's history to receive diplomas in three performance areas - piano, violin and conducting. In 1992 Mr. Pratt won the Naumburg International Piano Competition and two years later was awarded a 1994 Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has played numerous recitals throughout the U.S. including performances in New York at Lincoln Center, Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center, Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Chicago at Orchestra Hall. His many orchestral performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Minnesota Orchestra and the Pittsburgh, St. Louis, National, Detroit and New Jersey symphonies. Major summer festival engagements include Ravinia, Blossom, Wolftrap, Caramoor and Aspen, the Hollywood Bowl and the Mostly Mozart Festival in Tokyo. Mr. Pratt is also the Artistic Director of the Next Generation Festival, a two-week chamber music festival in Lancaster, PA., tours with the Dedalus String Quartet and appears with cellist Zuill Bailey in duo recitals throughout the US. Recent and upcoming appearances include recital engagements at the Kennedy Center and National Gallery in Washington, D.C., the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and in La Jolla and Savannah, as well as return appearances with the orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Seattle, Colorado, Kansas City, Utah, Nashville and San Antonio. As a conductor, Mr. Pratt has participated in American Symphony Orchestra League and Conductor's Guild workshops as well as in the National Conducting Institute, where he worked closely with Leonard Slatkin and conducted the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. He has also conducted the Toledo, New Mexico, Winston-Salem, Santa Fe and Prince George County symphonies, the Concertante di Chicago and two orchestras in Japan. A great favorite on college and university performing arts series and a strong advocate of music education, Awadagin Pratt participates in numerous residency and outreach activities wherever he appears; these activities may include master classes, children's recitals, play/talk demonstrations and question/answer sessions for students of all ages. Internationally, Mr. Pratt has toured Japan four times and performed in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Israel and South Africa. Awadagin Pratt has been the subject of numerous articles in the national press, including Newsweek, People Magazine, USA Weekend, New York Newsday, Emerge and Mirabella. He was named one of the 50 Leaders of Tomorrow in Ebony Magazine's special 50th anniversary issue and has been featured on National Public Radio's Performance Today, St. Paul Sunday Morning and Weekend Edition. On television, Mr. Pratt has performed on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Sesame Street, been profiled on CBS Sunday Morning and was one of the featured soloists on PBS's "Live from the Kennedy Center - A Salute to Slava." He also performed twice at the White House at the invitation of President and Mrs. Clinton. In September, 1993 Mr. Pratt signed an exclusive recording contract with Angel/EMI. His debut album, A Long Way From Normal, was released in 1994. Subsequent recital discs include an all Beethoven Sonata CD, Live from South Africa and Transformations. His most recent Angel/EMI recording is an all Bach disc with the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Mr. Pratt is currently an Associate Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Pianist seems poised to be 2nd black classical superstar.Orlando Sentinel Tribune, 6/21/92, p.F3 Prize-winning pianist Awadagin Pratt is classical -- but not conventional; now he's a player. People, August 17, 1992, p.71. Young African-American Pianist Thrills Audiences Nation Wide. Columbus Times. February 14, 1995, p. D1. Bargreen, Melinda. "In concerts, sometimes more is less." Seattle Times, 4/25/97. Barron, James. ON TOUR WITH: Awadagin Pratt; Knowing What It Means to Solo. New York Times, February 16, 1995, p.C1. Behrens, David. "Fast track is home to young piano star." Newsday, 11/10/95, p. B23. Benke, Richard. The versatile musician. The Age (AP), 4/4/2000. Bledsoe, Wayne. Passionate performances mark Pratt's work. Knoxville News-Sentinel, 9/14/97, p. T3. Chang, Yahlin. The piano man's not with a band: in every way, Awadagin Pratt defies stereotype. Newsweek. November 25, 1996, p. 79C. Conrad, Willa J., "Artful Awadagin: Pratt strikes an original chord in the precise world of classical piano", Charlotte Observer, October 1, 1995 Crean, Elisabeth A., "He's way beyond Normal: Pianist Awadagin Pratt plays on an extraordinary plane", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 9, 1996 Delatiner, Barbara. Unconventional Pianist Takes Spotlight. The New York Times, September 4, 1994, p. 22 Dollar, Steve. Classical COOL Awadagin Pratt doesn't fit image of concert pianist, but it's results that count.Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1/11/93, p.C1. Fortmeyer, Russell. "Pianist has eccentric style" Kansas State Collegian, 4/28/95. Friedman, Milton. "Classical Corner: Pianist Awadagin Pratt." Music Alive, February 1998, p.2 Giuliano, Mike. Pratt Pauses Briefly to Give Local Concert, Johns Hopkins Gazette, May 1, 1995. Gladstone, Valerie. Pratt's Triple Threat, New York Sun, 9/24/2007 Goodman, Peter.The pianist from central casting he's not. But Awadagin Pratt goes his own way, and it's paying off. Newsday, 1/9/94, p. 10 (Fanfare) Gunther, Lucy Neilan. "Awadagin Pratt rewards concert-goers with virtuosity." Virgin Islands Business Journal, 1/31/97. Hale, David. "Young pianist has musical and visual flair." Fresno Bee, 3/30/97, p. H3. Haynes, Karima.1992-2042; 50 Leaders Of Tomorrow . Ebony, November, 1992, p. 216. Hefner, David. "A mother enjoys life's sweet song; her son won fame on piano, daughter has success on two 'courts'." Tennessean, 5/28/97, p. 1B. Hutton, Mary Ellyn. CCM pianist broke out of 'cookie-cutter' mold. The Cincinnati Post, 9/13/2007 Karlovits, Bob. Playing for keeps: For pianist Awadagin Pratt, education is key. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1/21/1999. Keston, Nori. Awadagin Pratt's quiet storm. Baltimore Sun, May 5, 1994, p.27A LaFave, Kenneth. "Longhair music with a twist; Pratt brings piano, dreadlocks to town." Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette, 7/26/96, p. D1. Leukart, Hank. "Pratt, piano flair come to the Hop." The Dartmouth, 2/17/98. McBride Smith, Scott. "An American Original." Piano & Keyboard, May/June 1999, p.24 McDaniel, Sharon. Awadagin Pratt: Classical Artistry in an Unconventional Key . about...time Magazine, June 30, 1995, p.15. McLellan, Joseph
Mitchell, Melissa. "Key Player: The Alumni Interview." Illinois Alumni, January/February 2003. Morin, Alexander. Awadagin Pratt [review of "A Long Way from Normal"]. American Record Guide, September, 1994, p.242 Nance, Kevin."Pianist casual about appearance but not his music." Lexington Herald-Leader, 12/1/96. Phillips, Chrissie. Pianist Pratt Relies on Talent not Tuxedo. The Argus, 10/27/98. Rhein, John von. Triple threat: Awadagin Pratt masters the piano, violin and baton. Chicago Tribune, July 5, 1992, p. C20. Robinson, Robin P. Roll Over Beethoven, This New Guy Is Sound. Emerge, 2/28/95, p. 72 Rosenberg, Donald. "Judges of notes." Plain Dealer, 8/3/97, p.11 Rowe, Georgia. Pratt strives to express composer's meaning. San Jose Mercury News, 10/18/2000. Serinus, Jason V.
Shepard, T. Brooks. Classical Romance from Awadagin Pratt. American Visions, Feb-March, 1998. Sheppard, Jo. An Interview with Awadagin Pratt. MODEWeekly.com, June 1999. Steinberg, David. "Piano whiz kid poised for discovery at opener." Albuquerque Journal, 9/17/95, p.D1. Teachout, Terry. "You can't hear the hair: Classical pianist Awadagin Pratt dresses down — and plays up", Mirabella Magazine, January 1995. Thomas, Don. Concert Pianist: Pratt's Dreadlocks Are Philharmonic Bound. The New York Beacon, February 24, 1995, p. 26. WGUC 90.9 FM Audio Profile of Awadagin Pratt Wigler, Stephen.
For additional information on Mr. Pratt or to request an interview, please contact Cramer/Marder Artists, 127 W. 96th Street, #13B, New York, NY 10025. Tel: 212-864-1005. Fax: 212-864-1066. In Italia: Walter Beloch Artists Management, Via Melzi D'Eril, 26, 20154 Milano, Italia. Tel: +39 02 33101922. Fax: +39 02 3313643. E-mail: info@walterbeloch.com. |
Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances that receive tremendous audience response and press attention throughout the United States.