Since his appearances as pianist at the Vienna Musikverein and the Salzburg Festival at the invitation of Herbert von Karajan, Tzimon Barto has repeatedly brought dynamic and highly acclaimed performances to audiences worldwide. Barto's career spans several decades featuring performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, and the Chicago, Houston, National, and San Francisco symphonies, as well as the orchestras in El Paso, Anchorage, Evansville and at home in Orlando to name just a few. ...
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Since his appearances as pianist at the Vienna Musikverein and the Salzburg Festival at the invitation of Herbert von Karajan, Tzimon Barto has repeatedly brought dynamic and highly acclaimed performances to audiences worldwide. He is internationally recognized as one of the most important American pianists of his generation, performing to packed halls of faithful fans with solo, orchestra and chamber music concerts. Barto's career spans several decades featuring performances with nearly every major orchestra worldwide. Barto is a frequent guest in Europe, with recent appearances at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia where he performed with the Kirov Orchestra conducted by Valerie Gergiev, the Staatskapelle Dresden, Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, NDR Hamburg, ONE Madrid, Orchestre de Paris, Czech Philharmonic, and Wiener Symphoniker.
In 2006 Ondine records Finland, released a Rameau solo album: "A BASKET OF WILD STRAWBERRIES, A Selection of Keyboard Jewels by Jean-Philippe Rameau which was received outstanding reviews." In April 2007 a Ravel solo album, Miroirs/Jeux d'eau followed, also recognized for Barto's unique take on the music.
Tzimon Barto's numerous recording for EMI include concerti by Ravel, Prokoviev, Rachmaninov, Liszt, Chopin and Bartók. He has also recorded Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain", and solo recitals of works by Chopin, Schumann and Liszt, as well as a disc of popular encores, featuring music ranging from Bach to Joplin. One of this Season's highlight is the release of his Ravel recording for the Ondine Label.
Barto was born and raised in Eustis, Florida. He began his piano studies with his grandmother at the age of 5. As a teenager he studied at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and the Brevard Music Center. He attended the Juilliard School of Music from 1981-1985 studying piano with Adele Marcus. While at Juilliard he won the Gina Bachauer Competition on two consecutive years as well as the school's concerto competition. Additionally, Barto was a conducting fellow and a coach for the American Opera Center. At the Tanglewood Institute, he received the "Most Outstanding Student Award", presented by Gunther Schuller for his achievements as a young conductor. During his last year at Juilliard, Gian-Carlo Menotti invited him to conduct and play at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, then reengaging him the following year to conduct the composer's "Saint of the Bleeker Street" in honor of his 75th birthday. That same summer Barto began his affiliation with EMI Records as well as auditioning for Maestro Christoph Eschenbach who immediately engaged him for a series of concerts in Europe and his American debut with the Boston Symphony.
Highlighting the 2007/2008 season are recitals in Austria, Turkey, Poland and at major German festivals; orchestra performances in Germany, Switzerland and Finland.
In addition to his performing career, Mr. Barto is fluent five languages, is a reader of Homeric Greek, Latin and Hebrew, studies Farsi and Mandarin and writes prolifically on a monumental literary cycle. His first book, "a lady of Greek origin" was introduced in fall 2001 in both English and German at the Frankfurt Book Fair. A stage version of the 'lady' premiered Frankfurt/Germany and has been performed in 2005 in Vienna. A novel, 'Harold Flanders' was completed in 2006.