The artistry of Boris Berman is well known to the audiences of over forty countries on six continents. His highly acclaimed performances have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, The Philharmonia (London), the Toronto Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish Orchestra. A frequent performer in major recital series, he has also appeared in important festivals, such as Marlboro, Waterloo, Bergen, Ravinia and Israel Festival, to name a few.
Born in Moscow, Boris Berman studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the distinguished pianist Lev Oborin and graduated with distinction as both pianist and harpsichordist. He performed extensively throughout the Soviet Union as a recitalist and appeared as guest soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Moscow Philharmonic and the Moscow Chamber orchestras.
In 1973, Boris Berman left a flourishing career in the Soviet Union to immigrate to Israel. He quickly established himself as one of the most sought- after keyboard performers, as well as one of this country's more influential musical personalities. Presently, he resides in USA.
Mr. Berman is an active performer of chamber music. He had appeared in numerous concerts and festivals with such artists and groups as Misha Maisky, Heinz Holliger, Aurele Nicolet, Shlomo Mintz, Gyorgy Pauk, Ralph Kirshbaum, Frans Helmerson, Natalia Gutman, Tokyo Quartet, Kopelman Quartet, Vermeer Quartet, The Netherlands Wind Ensemble and many others.
A dedicated teacher of international stature, Boris Berman has served on the faculties of the world's finest schools, such as Indiana (Bloomington), Boston, Brandeis and Tel-Aviv universities. Currently, he heads the Piano Department at Yale School of Music . He also conducts master classes throughout the world.
Mr Berman's ability to recognize and commitment to nurture young talents are obvious reasons for him being invited to join panels of jurors of various national and international competitions, such as those in Leeds, Dublin and the Artur Rubinstein Competition in Tel-Aviv.
In 2000, Yale University Press published Boris Berman's "Notes from the Pianist's Bench", a book very well received by the public and by professionals. In this book, Professor Berman draws on his vast experience as a performer and a teacher to explore issues of piano technique and music interpretation. He is often invited to give lectures on these subjects in various universities and conferences around the world.
In the field of recordings, Mr. Berman's acclaimed releases on Philips, Deutsche Gramophon and Melodia labels have been complemented with piano sonatas by Scriabin for the Music and Arts label and Shostakovich piano works (Ottavo recordings), which received the Edison Classic Award in Holland. The recording of three Prokofiev Concertos with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi conducting (Chandos) marked the beginning of an ambitious project of recording the complete Prokofiev solo piano works, released on nine Chandos CDs to great critical acclaim. Other Chandos recordings include Debussy, Stravinsky, Schnittke and Janacek, and - with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Neeme Jarvi - Concerto by Stravinsky. More recent recordings include Debussy (Ottavo); John Cage (Naxos), which was named the Top Recording by the BBC Music Magazine; Piano Quintets of Shostakovich and Schnittke with Vermeer Quartet (Naxos, nominated for a Grammy award); and, surprisingly, a recording of Scott Joplin's Ragtimes (Ottavo).
In recent seasons, Mr. Berman has appeared with orchestras, as well as in festivals and recitals, in USA, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, China, Israel, Australia, Russia, Italy,Germany, and Holland. Future plans include recitals and concerts in the USA, the Far East and in Europe.
