Music Style Pushing Piano to the Limits

Musical Influences Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Martha Argerich.

Artist History Hailed as a world-class pianist, Bennett began his musical career at age 5 after winning a prize in a Disney song-arranging contest. At 14, after becoming one of the youngest in the world to perform Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto, he won a secret international piano competition for all ages, prompting a generous sponsor to award him with a Steinway concert grand piano and funding to study with Juilliard and Curtis Professors. At 19, after giving 400 concerts and performances with dozens of orchestras, on NPR, regular radio, television, and being named a winner in 50 national and international competitions including the Kosciuszko National Chopin Competition and 7 Awards from Steinway, Bennett retired from competitions. After performing for the foreign consulates of 20 countries and for Polish President Lech Walesa, Bennett took a hiatus from performances, moving to Cambridge, MA where, as a USA TODAY All-USA College Academic Team Member on full scholarship at Harvard University he received a high honors B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, and Biology advised by MIT linguist Noam Chomsky and psychologist Richard Hackman in 2001. While at Harvard, he released early recordings on http://www.mp3.com/sean and on Vitaminic.com. These recordings were collectively downloaded by 45,000 music enthusiasts, earning Bennett a rank in the top 10 classical artists among 240,000 songs on MP3.com and his page was subsequently translated into 17 languages on Vitaminic.com. Since graduating, Bennett has emerged from his performance hiatus and recently became the first to write down, record and perform several of the famous Horowitz transcriptions. He currently pursues a Ph.D in Cognitive Musicology and Neuroscience at Cambridge University in England as a Gates Cambridge Scholar and is the world’s leading expert on why songs get stuck in our heads. He also serves as an organizational behavior and strategy consultant to Bill Gates Sr. and the Gates Cambridge Trust as the Secretary General (chair) of the Gates Cambridge Council and is Associate Director of MIND, a 35-year old neuropsychology institute that works with exceptionally gifted children in Cambridge, MA.

Press Reviews Chicago Tribune - "Sean commands the piano." Indianapolis Star - "Most amazing. Not only was his playing technically what it should be - accurate, unlabored, texturally clear and rhythmically crisp, I've never heard the second movement played more beautifully or with more feeling for expressive nuances." Refers to Ravel Concerto in G major performance with Indianapolis Symphony. Ruth Laredo - "Sean's Chopin is first-class playing." Listen.com -- The stunning virtuosity of this young pianist shines through in his interpretations of the works of modern and period composers. Vibrant with a commanding dynamic range and plenty of passion to match the technique. Jadair on listen.com -- Talents like his are truly rare. His playing is as technically sound as it is beautiful. One would have to hear it to believe it.

Location Cambridge, Cambridgeshire - United Kingdom

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