Stephen Porter has performed extensively in the U.S., Italy and Turkey, and last season was featured guest soloist with the Amadeus Orchestra of London at LSO St. Luke’s, chosen from a field of 32 pianists.  His live performances have been critically acclaimed as “an amazing sound” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) and “the most exciting and appropriate Beethoven Appassionata” (Slate.com).  Solo recital venues where he has appeared include Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center at Lake Como, Italy, Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, Amherst College’s Buckley Recital Hall, the Nantucket Atheneum, and Albert Long Hall in Istanbul.  

Steinway & Sons selected him to give five solo recitals as part of the Legendary Instruments of the Immortals Tour, as well as to present the Art Case Collection and give lecture-recitals on the Horowitz piano.  This fall Steinway chose him to give a Boston recital on the unique Walden Woods Concert Grand. 

His many chamber music activities include appearances with members of the St. Louis Symphony, and with concertmaster David Halen at the invitation of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. He is a frequent collaborator with mezzo-soprano Krista River, and their recitals this year include performances of several works by Ned Rorem for which they received coaching by the composer. This spring he was guest soloist with the principals of the South Florida Symphony in the Brahms piano quintet, and with conductor David Hodgkins and the New England Classical Singers.

Mr. Porter graduated magna cum laude from Oberlin College, and from the New England Conservatory of Music with Distinction.  His teachers were Peter Takacs, Jacob Maxin and Paul Doguereau, the protégé of Ravel. 

He has judged piano competitions and given masterclasses at several schools, including Washington University and Boston University, and this year was invited to judge the MTNA National Piano Competition and the final rounds of the New England Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition and the Longy School of Music Concerto Competition.  Stephen Porter has been on the piano faculties of Webster University and Phillips Andover Academy, and the chamber music faculty of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

This is Stephen Porter’s eighth performance on the present series.
Please visit  www.stephenporterpiano.com