Joseph Banowetz has made a name for himself as a world-renowned recitalist, recording artist, and orchestral soloist. He has led a successful performance career which spans over 35 countries across 5 continents, is an author, editor, lecturer, adjudicator, and with over 35 commercial recordings has been a twice nominated GRAMMY award finalist. Banowetz is a Steinway Artist, and Professor of Piano Performance at the College of Music of the University of North Texas.
In 1984, Banowetz was invited by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to record as well as give world premier performances of a contemporary Chinese piano concerto. His performance of the Piano Concerto, Op. 25b by An-lun Huang marked him as the first-ever foreign artist to be given such an honor.
Education
Joseph Banowetz's studies included work with Carl Friedberg (a pupil of Clara Schumann) and György Sándor (a pupil of Béla Bartók).
He is a graduate with a 'First Prize' from the State Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna.
Awards & Nominations
- Pan American Prize by the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C.
- Outstanding Academic Book of the Year Award, 1985, for the Pianist's Guide to Pedaling (Banowetz book).
- 1987 West German Music Critics Award (Marco Polo world-premiere recording of Balakirev Scherzos and Mazurkas)
- 1992 Budapest Hungarian Liszt Society Liszt Medal
- 2007 GRAMMY Nomination for Best Chamber Music Performance: Balakirev: 30 Songs of the Russian People
- 2010 GRAMMY Nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance: Kletzki: Piano Concerto in d minor, Opus 22
Notable Performances Abroad
- St. Petersburg Philharmonic
- Moscow State Symphony
- Prague and Bratislava Radio Orchestras
- Budapest Symphony
- New Zealand Symphony
- 12-Concert National tour
- Canadian Sinfonietta (Toronto)
- Hong Kong Philharmonic
- Beijing Central Philharmonic
- Shanghai Symphony
- Beijing Central Opera Orchestra
- Guangzhou Philharmonic
- Seoul Philharmonic
- Philharmonic Bulgarica (Bulgaria)
- Barcelona Concert Society Orchestra
- Chatham, International Piano Festival, Manchester
- Warsaw’s Paderewski Museum
- Festival Armonie Sotto La Rocca, Italy
Adjudicator
- 1st Ars Nova International Piano Competition (Singapore)
- Arthur Rubinstein Master Piano Competition (Israel)
- Scottish International Piano Competition (Glasgow)
- Belarussian International Piano Competition (Minsk)
- Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition (U. S.)
- 2001 World Piano Competition (U. S.)
- Hilton Head International Piano Competition (U. S.)
- Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (U.S.)
- Antonín Dvořák International Piano Competition (Czech Republik)
- Wideman Shreveport Symphony International Piano Competition
“... a virtuoso in the noblest sense of the word.”
Ruch Muzyczny, Warsaw
Author & Editor
- The Pianist’s Guide to Pedaling (Indiana University Press, US). Currently published in seven languages.
- The Pianist's Book of Early Contemporary Treasures (published by Neil A. Kjos)
- Franz Liszt: An Introduction to the Composer and His Music (published by Neil A. Kjos)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: An Introduction to the Composer and his Music (published by Neil A. Kjos)
- Mily Balakirev: Islamey and Other Favorite Russian Piano Works (published by Dover)
- Leopold Godowsky: Miniatures (for Piano, Four Hands - with Alton Chung Ming Chan) (3 volumes - published by Alfred Music)
He has also published editions of music by Chopin, Rubinstein, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Debussy for Alfred Music.
Lectures & Master Classes
- Juilliard School
- Chopin Academy of Warsaw
- Warsaw’s Paderewski Museum
- Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory of Music, St. Petersburg
- London’s Royal College
- Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
- Artmúsic Escola de Música I Dansa of Barcelona
- Hong Kong’s Academy for the Performing Arts
- Bangalore School of Music, India
As well as China’s national conservatories in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenyang.