Lambert Orkis, piano

The musical interests of Lambert Orkis encompass traditional and contemporary music performed on modern and period instruments. His substantial career includes more than ten years of international touring as a partner with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. For twenty-five years, the celebrated duo of violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis has appeared to capacity audiences in the world's finest performance venues. The duo's recordings and DVDs for Deutsche Grammophon include complete sonatas by Mozart (Choc de l'année Award), Beethoven (Grammy Award) and Brahms. Their 1995 Berlin recital, and Orkis' Brahms/Schumann disc with cellist Anner Bylsma, were both nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Chamber Music Performance. Mr. Orkis has premiered and recorded compositions of numerous composers, including solo works by George Crumb, Richard Wernick, and James Primosch for Bridge Records. With Principal Cellist David Hardy, he performs Beethoven's complete works for piano and cello on the Sono Luminus label. Having appeared in numerous festivals throughout the world, he was most recently a distinguished performing artist and teacher for the Musica Viva Festival 2013 in Sydney, Australia. He has appeared internationally as soloist with major orchestras, performs and has recorded as a member of the Kennedy Center Chamber Players and the Smithsonian Institution's Castle Trio (period instruments), and holds the positions of Principal Keyboard of the National Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Piano at Temple University in Philadelphia. In acknowledgment of his accomplishments, Mr. Orkis was honored with the Cross of the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany.