Music Style Classical piano

Musical Influences Andre Watts, Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher, Yes, Sting

Artist History The American classical pianist Phoenix, now living in Germany, has made the works of the romantic composers his main focus. His performances are characterized by his "technical brilliance and excellent virtuosity" which led to remarks such as, "As if he were sleep-walking, he scurried over the keyboard and drew the audience under his spell." Yet it is not just his virtuosity that captures the audience's attention but also his "beautiful, singing tone" and "poetic playing rarely heard from young performers." The year 2003 will see him releasing a third album, a live recording of the February 2003 concert at the Thürmer Saal in Bochum, Germany. He is also going to be performing at the Mosel Festwochen music festival with the Camerata Cusana string orchestra at Kloster Machern, Zeltingen, Germany in September. In 2002, he already played two well-received concerts in the Mosel Festwochen and released his second CD "Elements," the follow-up to 1999's "Timescape." He has previously performed in England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. Phoenix, a native of Kentucky who holds a master's degree from Central Missouri State University, "is proof that talent trained locally can be of a quality comparable to that found in the hallowed music schools to the East."3 It is Phoenix's "extraordinary pianism"3 which makes his performing "an unprecedented fascinating event."2 [written by V. Weston] 1 Trierischer Volksfreund, June 25, 2002, article by Gerhard W. Kluth, translated by V. Weston. 2 Osnabrücker Zeitung and Meller Kreisblatt, Osnabrück and Melle, Germany, March 1, 2001; Article written by Steffen Meyer. English translation by Vera Weston. 3 Saint Louis Post Dispatch, Saint Louis, Missouri (USA), November 23, 1993; Article by Sue Taylor.

Instruments Piano

Albums Timescape (1999)--Elements (2002)

Press Reviews Quotes From Reviews "...a pianistic 'devil's violinist'..." Trierischer Volksfreund (Germany) (red) October 8, 2002. "...an unprecedented fascinating event..." Osnabrücker Zeitung and Meller Kreisblatt (Germany) (SM) March 1, 2001. "He was able to convince completely with his virtuosity." Trierischer Volksfreund (Germany) (GWK) June 25, 2002. "...poetic playing rarely heard from young performers." Saint Louis Post Dispatch (USA) (ST) November 23, 1993. "... pianistically spectecular witty intelect." Trierischer Volksfreund (Germany) (red) October 8, 2002. "As if he were sleepwalking, he scurried over the keyboard and drew the audience under his spell." Osnabrücker Zeitung and Meller Kreisblatt (Germany) (SM) March 1, 2001. "...storms of applause, the likes of which I have rarely heard." Trierischer Volksfreund (Germany) (HK) July 19, 2002. "...(he) has a beautiful singing tone..." Saint Louis Post Dispatch (USA) (ST) November 23, 1993. "He plays with an ease the most difficult passages--simply fantastic." Trierischer Volksfreund (Germany) (IL) July 24, 2002.

Location Longkamp, Rheinland-Pfalz - Germany

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