Guest Artist Series: Robert McDonald, piano
About
Join acclaimed pianist Robert McDonald on November 6 for an evening of extraordinary music-making in Turner Recital Hall. Praised for his expressive performances and remarkable versatility, McDonald has appeared on stages around the world as both a soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with legendary artists including violinist Isaac Stern and performing with some of the world’s leading chamber ensembles. A prizewinner of major international piano competitions and a beloved teacher at both the The Juilliard School of Music and Curtis Institute of Music, McDonald brings warmth, insight, and artistry to every performance.
⭐ Friday, November 6, 2026, Turner Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.
About Robert McDonald:
Pianist Robert McDonald has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America. He has performed with major orchestras in the U.S. and was a recital partner with violinist Isaac Stern for many years. He has participated in the Marlboro, Casals, and Lucerne festivals, performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and for broadcasts over BBC Television. He has also appeared with the Takács, Vermeer, Juilliard, Brentano, Borromeo, American, Shanghai, and St. Lawrence string quartets as well as with Musicians from Marlboro.
McDonald’s prizes include the gold medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition, the top prize at the William Kapell International Competition, and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award. His teachers include Theodore Rehl, Seymour Lipkin, Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Beveridge Webster, and Gary Graffman. He holds degrees from Lawrence University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard, and the Manhattan School of Music.
McDonald has taught at the Curtis Institute, where he holds the Penelope P. Watkins Chair in piano studies, since 2007, and has also served on the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1999. During the summer, he is the artistic director of New Mexico’s Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival.
⭐ Friday, November 6, 2026, Turner Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.
About Robert McDonald:
Pianist Robert McDonald has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America. He has performed with major orchestras in the U.S. and was a recital partner with violinist Isaac Stern for many years. He has participated in the Marlboro, Casals, and Lucerne festivals, performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and for broadcasts over BBC Television. He has also appeared with the Takács, Vermeer, Juilliard, Brentano, Borromeo, American, Shanghai, and St. Lawrence string quartets as well as with Musicians from Marlboro.
McDonald’s prizes include the gold medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition, the top prize at the William Kapell International Competition, and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award. His teachers include Theodore Rehl, Seymour Lipkin, Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Beveridge Webster, and Gary Graffman. He holds degrees from Lawrence University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard, and the Manhattan School of Music.
McDonald has taught at the Curtis Institute, where he holds the Penelope P. Watkins Chair in piano studies, since 2007, and has also served on the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1999. During the summer, he is the artistic director of New Mexico’s Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival.
