Pianist LEON BATES welcomes the millennium with plans that include recordings, performing new works and continued joy in performing for audiences the world over. Since winning the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Auditions as a student over 20 years ago, Leon Bates has emerged as one of America's leading pianists. He is invited to the most prestigious concert halls and his performances have warranted critical and audience accolades in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, the Hollywood Bowl and the Masonic Hall in San Francisco, presented by the Four Seasons Concert Association. He appeared in Naples, Italy in two recitals and took part in the filming of "Music in the 20th Century" telecast on PBS. He also hosted a radio series funded by the Pew Foundation, "Notes from Philadelphia."
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Leon Bates' work with young people is
extraordinary. In one season alone he often performs over fifty residency programs in
conjunction with orchestra engagements and recitals to inspire, motivate and delight
America's youth as he opens their minds and hearts to the love of music. His sheer mastery of his instrument has led to many invitations to perform with major symphonies such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the American Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Detroit Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony. His large repertoire includes over 30 concerti by the major composers, several contemperory concerti and he is known for his masterful performances of works by the romantics such as Rachmaninoff and his brilliant performances of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. His latest project of Duke Ellington's music is delighting audiences everywhere. |
He has performed all over the world, appearing with the Vienna Symphony, the Sinfonica dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Strasbourg Symphony in France, and Canada's Victoria Symphony. He played a series of concerts in South Africa with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Natal Philharmonic. He also performed in Rome and in Naples, Italy recently. With the Basel Symphony, he performed the Gershwin Concerto in F in a unique and exciting classical music video which used creative images to depict the music. The video has been broadcast in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and has been shown in the U.S. on the BRAVO! Network. Mr. Bates has been invited to appear frequently on both national and local radio and television programs; he has appeared on NBC's The TODAY SHOW with Bryant Gumbel and on CBS SUNDAY MORNING with Charles Kuralt and Eugenia Zukerman.
On July 4 of 1995, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit for the City of Philadelphia's Independence Day festivities. Another performance of Rhapsody in Blue was in Switzerland recently with the Zürcher Kammerorchester for "An American Evening" concert.
A native of Philadelphia, Leon Bates began his formal study of music at the age of six on both piano and violin. While still young, he was recognized for his musical genius and groomed for a concert career. The late Irene Beck formulated his early training at the Settlement Music School, and his advanced study was under renowned pianist Natalie Hinderas at Temple University Esther Boyer College of Music.
Among his many awards are the National Association of Music Teachers Collegiate Artists Competition, the National Association of Negro Musicians Competition, the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Auditions, the Symphony of the New World Competition and the National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalists Fellowship Grant. His importance to the music world was noted with an honorary doctorate from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. In 1993, Mr. Bates received the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award from the Greater New York Wallenberg Committee for his extensive work with children.
In addition to a full concert schedule, Mr. Bates is a master teacher and often is called upon to give master classes to promising young musicians. Known for his ability to attract audiences, he is a favorite on college campuses because of his broad interests outside of classical music. He enjoys all the performing arts including dance, theatre and all types of music. He is a sports enthusiast and a disciplined body builder, which he feels aids his playing ability. Recently he has begun composing, and finds great satisfactionin this aspect of music making. Mr. Bates has recorded on the Orion label, Performance Records, and on Naxos.
The late 1980's was an exciting time for Leon Bates, during which he performed with Lorin Maazel and the Orchestra of France and was chosen to play at Carnegie Hall in the Steinway Foundation's Gala Celebration commemorating the building of their 500,000th piano. He performed at La Scala in Milan in a televised program, for which he received numerous ovations from a jubilant audience.
Bates returned to Europe for performances in Italy; performed with the Delaware Symphony under Stephen Gunzenhauser; and in Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, Skitch Henderson conducting; collaborated with the Audubon Quartet and pianist Tamas Vasary; and toured the U.S. in a program featuring the works of George Gershwin. Gershwin by Request has been performed at dozens of major venues from the Barbara Mann Center in Ft. Myers, Florida to the Detroit Music Hall. One season highlight was a Carnegie Hall performance with Tamas Vasary in a tribute to the late Natalie Hinderas; other engagements took Mr. Bates to orchestras in the U.S. and to Europe for a recording session.
In the 1990's, Leon Bates has continued to delight audiences while performing alone or with notable ensembles. He performed with the Bournemouth Symphony in England, Tamas Vasary conducting, and later as soloist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in Rome's Olympic Stadium before an audience of 20,000 to commemorate the Christopher Columbus Anniversary. Mr. Bates premiered a concerto by Adolphus Hailstork with the Virginia Symphony, later performing the concerto with five more orchestras; and appeared as a guest with the Boston
Pops Esplanade Orchestra and with the Milwaukee Symphony.A favorite at summer festivals, Leon Bates has performed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Chicago's Grant Park, Lake Tahoe Festival and at the Mann Music Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Bates periodically performs on summer tour with the Boston Pops, Keith Lockwood conducting, most recently in 1998. Bates has returned to the Hollywood Bowl in July 1991, 1994, 1996, and 1998 for performances with conductor James DePreist.
Recently, Leon Bates performed with orchestras in the U.S. and Europe, including the Orchestra of Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano in Italy, and the Malmo Symphony of Sweden. He appeared with the Battle Creek Symphony and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra in connection with the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Michigan. He also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and with the Italian Symphony Orchestra of Bergamo on its U.S. tour which included a concert at Carnegie Hall.
In subsequent seasons, he has been invited to appear with the Zürcher Kammerorchester in Switzerland, the Atlanta and Tucson Symphonies, Chicago Sinfonietta, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Philadelphia's Orchestra 2001 and in Leipzig's Gewandhaus.
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