A Conversation with Andre Watts
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works Podcast
Length: 39:41
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when he made his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in one of their Young People's Concerts. Two weeks later, Bernstein invited him back to the Phil harmonic to substitute for the ailing Glenn Gould. When Watts sounded his last note, the entire orchestra joined the audience in giving him a standing ovation and a career was launched.
The son of a Hungarian pianist and an African-American soldier, Watts spent his early childhood in Europe, before the family moved to Philadelphia. He began studying the piano when he was six. Sixty years later, to the delight of millions, he's still at it. A brilliant classical pianist, who's a perennial favorite with audiences, orchestras, and conductors around the world. Celebrated for His superb technique, passionate intensity and wide-ranging repertoire, André Watts is equally at home with recitals, broadcasts, and recordings.
A much-honored artist who has played before royalty in Europe and heads of government in nations all over the world, André Watts has received many awards and now the highest award given an artist by the United States government, the National Medal of Arts.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when he made his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in one of their Young People's Concerts. Two weeks later, Bernstein invited him back to the Phil harmonic to substitute for the ailing Glenn Gould. When Watts sounded his last note, the entire orchestra joined the audience in giving him a standing ovation and a career was launched.
The son of a Hungarian pianist and an African-American soldier, Watts spent his early childhood in Europe, before the family moved to Philadelphia. He began studying the piano when he was six. Sixty years later, to the delight of millions, he's still at it. A brilliant classical pianist, who's a perennial favorite with audiences, orchestras, and conductors around the world. Celebrated for His superb technique, passionate intensity and wide-ranging repertoire, André Watts is equally at home with recitals, broadcasts, and recordings.
A much-honored artist who has played before royalty in Europe and heads of government in nations all over the world, André Watts has received many awards and now the highest award given an artist by the United States government, the National Medal of Arts.
Transcript
Transcript of conversation with André Watts
That's pianist and 2011 National Medal of Arts recipient, André Watts playing Liszt's "Transcendental Etude Number 10."
Welcome to Art Works, the program that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation's great artists to explore how art works, I'm your host Josephine Reed.
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when he made his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in one of their Young People's Concerts. Two weeks later, Bernstein invited him back to the Phil harmonic to substitute for the ailing Glenn Gould. When Watts sounded his last note, the entire orchestra joined the audience in giving him a standing ovation and a career was launched.
The son of a Hungarian pianist and an African-American soldier, Watts spent his early childhood in Europe, before the family moved to Philadelphia. He be...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piano Concerto #1 In E Flat | Andre Watts (performing Franz Liszt | Liszt: Piano Concerto #1; Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini; Ravel: Piano Concerto. | Sony Music Entertainment | 00:00 | |
| Transcendental Etude, number 10 | Andre Watts (performing Franz Liszt | Live. | 00:00 |
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