World renowned classical pianist Enrique Graf, a native of Montevideo, Uruguay, and now an American citizen, is one among the only three artists to receive the Immigrant Achievement award.
Tenor Plácido Domingo and violinist Midori are the two other privileged recipients.
After winning all of the national competitions in Uruguay, Graf came to the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University to study with Leon Fleisher on a full scholarship from the Organization of American States and Peabody.
The Washington Post applauded the artist by stating, “Graf has mastered the most difficult part of the pianist’s art – reticence, the ability to say compelling things and seize the audience’s attention without pounding.”
Graf has appeared at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center , Krannert Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, the Cultural Center of Manila, Teatro Opera in Buenos Aires, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Florida, South Bay Center for the Arts in Los Angeles, the Chautauqua Festival, Young Keyboard Artists International Festival in Ann Arbor, the San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival in Mexico, the University of Maryland International Piano Festival, Spoleto International Piano Festival in Italy, “Contrasts” Festival in Lviv and Kiev Music Fest in the Ukraine.
Graf has given solo recitals all over the world and has performed with orchestras such as the Baltimore, Indianapolis, New Jersey, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Florida, West Virginia, Illinois, Flagstaff, Augusta, Greenville, Charleston, New York City and Jupiter Symphonies, the Symphony of the Americas, the National Chamber Orchestra, the Illinois Chamber Orchestra, the American Chamber Orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Sinfonia da Camara, Florida Virtuosi Orchestra, the Puerto Rico Symphony, the Montevideo Philharmonic, the Lviv Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Janá?ek Philharmonic in the Czech Republic, and the National Orchestras of Ukraine, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Colombia.
According to The Evening Sun-Baltimore, “Graf is an expansive pianist with a gift for shaping his sound in a way that lets the music breathe and then glisten for a moment in the light.”
The upcoming FMU Artist Series Concert will feature Graf in a piano recital. The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 7 in the Kassab Recital Hall.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and close at 9:30 p.m. in the Hyman Fine Arts Center.
Francis Marion is honored to host Graf as a guest pianist for the evening and is encouraging and welcoming an open audience with no charge or any advance reservations.