Justin Kolb, Pianist

The past concert season began for Justin Kolb as the artist in residence for the Young Romantics component of Canada's Great Romantics Festival and closed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. as a featured pianist at the International Liszt Festival.  The season also included performances of the Peter Schickele Concerto for Piano and Chorus in Chicago and at the Maverick concert venue in Woodstock, NY.  Summer performances including hosting and performing at the Robert Starer Tribute in the Maverick Concerts' Series as well as an appearance at the Frost Valley YMCA.  This winter Albany Records will release a recording by Kolb of the solo piano compositions of the Chicago composer William Ferris.  Kolb's repertoire includes contemporary American composers John Downey, Tania Leon, William Ferris, Amy Rubin, Peter Schickele, and Robert Starer.  His nineteenth century repertoire centers on Beethoven, Chopin, Franck, Liszt, and Rossini.  His orchestra engagements have included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Hamburg Philharmonic. 

A popular clinician and motivational speaker, Kolb is frequently engaged by colleges and universities to present his interactive lecture, Know the Score: Inspiration and Motivation for Life After Music School.  And for young audiences, Travels with a Piano Player and Why Music Students Excel are two musical enrichment programs presented to grades K-12.  An arts advocate Kolb often addresses parents' groups and district school boards.  Kolb's articles have been published in Clavier magazine as well as Piano Today.  He also serves as an Executive on the Board of Directors of the American Liszt Society.