Peter Serkin, piano

The Williams College Department of Music presents a concert of solo piano music with Peter Serkin on Friday evening, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. This free event is open to the public.

Recognized as an artist of passion and integrity, the distinguished American pianist Peter Serkin is renown as a thoughtful and individualistic musician. Throughout his career he has successfully conveyed the essence of five centuries of repertoire and his performances with symphony orchestras, recital appearances, chamber music collaborations and recordings are respected worldwide.

An avid proponent of the music of many of the 20th and 21st century’s most important composers, Mr. Serkin has been instrumental in bringing their music to a wider public This program features works of Stefan Wolpe, Arnold Schoenberg and Toru Takemitsu. In the second half of the concert Mr. Serkin plays Thirty-three Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, op. 120 by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Peter Serkin’s rich musical heritage extends back several generations: his grandfather was violinist and composer Adolf Busch and his father pianist Rudolf Serkin. In 1958, at age eleven, he entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he was a student of Lee Luvisi, Mieczyslaw Horszowski and Rudolf Serkin. He later continued his studies with Ernst Oster, Marcel Moyse and Karl Ulrich Schnabel. He is a traveled soloist having appeared in recitals and with major symphony orchestras throughout the world. His many recordings mark him as a major artist of his time.

Mr. Serkin currently teaches at Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music. The Williams College Music Department is pleased for the privilege of hosting Mr. Serkin in the intimate setting of the Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. Concert visitors are advised to be punctual, as capacity is limited.

Event Program