10 things you should know about Baron Fenwick
Baron Fenwick
In addition to our SOLO Series, Portland Piano International offers other important programs to continue the legacy of piano from generation to generation. In our Rising Stars program and Beyond the Score master classes, professional concert pianists share their insight gained from their lives devoted to piano study and performance with advanced piano students and an invited, rapt audience: you!
On February 22, Rising Star Baron Fenwick will be teaching our Beyond the Score master class. Here are 10 things to know about this talented young artist.
At only 25, Baron already has a rich performance career. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Mannes College of Music as a student of Vladimir Feltsman and Pavlina Dokovska.
Baron played the $1.2 million Kuhn-Bosendorfer piano at its unveiling in the Winston-Salem art studio of John Kuhn. That’s the cost of more than 11 used 2012 Model D Steinways!
Awarded silver medal in the 2019 Sendai International Music Competition, Baron has emerged as a leading pianist of his generation. The Competition is held every three years, aiming to contribute to the global culture of music and to international cultural exchange, through the nurturing of young, talented musicians.
He played the piano solo in Logan Vranković’s premiere of his concerto for piano and orchestra on December 9th, 2019 in New York City alongside the Mannes Orchestra in Tishman Auditorium.
Vranković’s concerto is dedicated to Baron. “His playing continues to inspire me,” Vranković said. “To date, he has expertly performed two of my pieces, and I couldn't be more grateful for his friendship and musicianship.”
Baron is the winner of the 2018 Mannes Concerto Competition, and in 2017 he was a laureate of the Ravel Prix at the historic Fontainebleau Conservatoire. In 2016, he received first prizes in competitions at two major music festivals: the Dorothy MacKenzie Artist Recognition Award at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival, and the piano solo competition at the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy.
Baron’s diverse musical interests allow him to enjoy an eclectic range of activities. At Mannes, he has studied historically-minded performance of Baroque and Classical music, and he is equally at home on the harpsichord or fortepiano as he is on modern instruments.
On his own time, he is an amateur composer and improviser. Baron loves collaborating with other musicians and has learned and performed a significant repertoire of chamber music.
His performance with conductor Erin Freeman and the South Carolina Philharmonic was called “brilliant” by David Lowry of the Columbia Free-Times: “His driving rhythm, virtuosic technique, musical treatment and careful attention to the ensemble were all stunning.”
He has played in master classes for pianists including Richard Goode, John Perry, Robert Levin, Awadagin Pratt, Horacio Gutierrez, Peter Takacs, Boris Berman, Alexander Korsantia, Lev Natochenny, Jeffrey Kahane, Claire Desert, and many others.
In addition to the Beyond the Score master class, Baron will be performing at our Rising Stars performances on February 19 - 23, 2020. Learn more about the concerts here — the best news is that ALL performances are free and open to the public.