Joshua Pierce - Russian Piano Concertos (2015)

Joshua Pierce is one of the most uniquely gifted virtuosos of our time. His on-going series of recordings on MSR Classics of works from the great composers of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert to the romantic world of Brahms, Liszt and Tchaikovsky, form a testimony to the range of an artist who is also known for his performances of 20th century repertoire - from Gershwin to Cage and beyond. Such a range - encompassing the standard repertoire, contemporary works and rediscovered masterpieces of the past - is rare among pianists.

Born in New York City, Pierce studied at the Cleveland Institute, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University. His teachers and mentors included Dorothy Taubman, Artur Balsam, Victor Babin, and Robert Goldsand. He also studied with cellists Bernard Greenhouse of the Beaux Arts Trio and Jascha Silberstein, and with pianists Arthur Loesser and Artur Balsam. He has numerous Grammy Award nominations to his credit along with laudatory reviews from publications across the globe. His career includes numerous appearances with major orchestras, including the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow State Philharmonic, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, RAI Orchestra of Rome, Mexico City Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica Nacional of Peru, and the symphony orchestras of Utah, San Antonio and Missouri. He has collaborated with numerous musicians and chamber ensembles, including violinists Eric Friedman and Julianne Klopotic, cellist Jeffrey Solow and Lawrence Zoernig, Leontovich String Quartet and Chamber Players International.

A prolific recording artist, Pierce can be heard in nearly 200 works on more than 65 CDs, including Beethoven and Brahms piano concertos, the complete piano with orchestra works of Gershwin and Liszt, and landmark recordings of keyboard music by John Cage. His recordings also include standard and lesser-known works by nearly two dozen other composers, from Bach to Britten. Pierce has recorded for a host of record labels, including MSR Classics, Wergo, Sony Classical, Virgin Classics, Carlton Classics, Koch International, Mastersound, Albany, MMC, Centaur and Varese Sarabande. He has also performed for public radio and television around the world, including in the United States, Europe, Russia and South Korea. A highly respected contemporary music performer, Pierce has performed at most of the major concert venues and series in New York City, including: Alice Tully Hall, 92nd Street Y, Symphony Space, Merkin Hall, Roulette, The Kitchen, The Knitting Factory, The DiMenna Center and Weill Recital Hall.