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 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 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. He is also a regular guest at the Ravinia Festival where, in 2003, he celebrated his 10th anniversary of summer appearances.
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 January 2006 Ondine records Finland, released a Rameau solo album which will be internationally available during spring 2006: „A Basket of Wild Strawberries”, “A Selection of Keyboard Jewels by Jean-Philippe Rameau.” 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.
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 2006/2007 season are the opening concert for the 'Theater an der Wien' in Vienna, a Florida Tour with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Recitals in Central Florida, St. Petersburg - Russia, France, Poland and Austria.
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.
Barto lives in Central Florida and is married to painter Gesa Barto. They have a teenage son, Ori.