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Kent has performed as
a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and in chamber music throughout the United States,
Spain, Switzerland, and South America. Committed to innovative programming, Kent has
offered a recital of works by immigrant composers to the U.S. at the Museum of Modern Art
in NYC, an all-American program for Performing Arts of Litchfield CT, and several
all-Spanish programs at Merkin Hall, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Bruno Walter
Auditorium. Ken has lectured on the piano works of Federico Mompou and presented a solo
recital in conjunction with the NY Library for the Performing Art's exhibition on Ernesto
Halffter. A performance of Book I of Albeniz' Iberia suite was praised in the Indianapolis
Star as "Albenizian to the core...his suave legato touch wedded to a tone with an
Old World patina about it."
Kent made his New York recital debut at Weill Hall in 1989. His orchestral appearances
have been performances with the Juilliard Symphony at Alice Tully Hall, and the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music has been an important part of Ken's concert
life, most recently with the Damocles Trio which he co-founded in 1996 with violinist Airi
Yoshioka and cellist Sibylle Johner. The group has performed throughout the NY area
including several appearances at Alice Tully Hall, and completed an eight city tour of
Switzerland in February, 1999. Other recent appearances have included a recital at
Carnegie Hall with violinist Gerald Beal and a solo recital at the Library of Congress in
Washington DC.
Winner of the American Pianists Association fellowship and Simone Belsky Music Awards,
Kent also received top prizes in the Thomas Richner, the Juilliard Concerto, and the
Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competitions. He is in addition a recipient of the Arthur
Rubinstein Prize and the Harold Bauer Award.
Kent received his D.M.A. from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal
and was recently engaged as an adjunct professor. His dissertation, "The Use of
Catalan Folk Materials in the Works of Federico Mompou and Joaquin Nin-Culmell" was
awarded the school's Richard F. French Prize. He holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from the
Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Solomon Mikowsky. In addition, he is on
the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division and has taught a course
of the history of Western Art Music at Iona College. |
