John Kenneth Adams divided his time between the USA and Europe this past year, traveling as far as Novi Sad, Serbia, to perform for the European Piano Teachers Congress. He also visited Varna, Bulgaria for private lessons, and continued as a Patron for the Zermatt Festival in Zermatt, Switzerland. In the USA he performed in the Brown Grand Opera House in Concordia, Kansas, and at the first Foothills Piano Festival in Anniston, Alabama. He gave a benefit concert for Food for Life in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also performed at Columbia College and for “Sundays at Lowman”. He was a judge for the Daniel Competition at Furman University, and gave a masterclass for Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.
A special program featuring Great Themes from Movies of the Forties has enjoyed 17 performances around the USA in the past two years, featuring his own arrangements of Richard Addinsell’s “Warsaw Concerto” and Miklos Rozsa’s “Spellbound Concerto”. Mr. Adams’ new “Piano Portrait “ entitled “The Life and Music of Vladimir Horowitz”, enjoyed an enthusiastic reception last summer at the Southeastern Piano Festival. Drawing on research from the Horowitz Archives at Yale University, this presentation included many rare photographs and recordings. Mr. Adams will encore this for the South Carolina Governors School in October, 2008.
John Kenneth Adams came to USC in 1964, and performed as soloist with the Columbia Festival Orchestra (now the South Carolina Philharmonic) at their first subscription concert. During that period he also performed at the National Gallery of Art and the Phillips Gallery in Washington, DC, at the University of Maryland Piano Festival, and at the Matthay Piano Festival. During the 1970’s he performed widely for the United States Information Service (USIS) including five tours of South America, and additional tours in Spain and Italy. He made his debut in Wigmore Hall, London in 1969, and returned for two further Wigmore recitals. He also made an extensive tour for Gioventu Musicale Italia in 1976. Since 1986 he has made nine visits to South Korea, giving lessons and masterclasses in all the principal cities.
A successful recital of all French music at Carnegie Recital Hall was followed by a Venture Fund Grant from USC to present the complete piano music of Claude Debussy, performed in five recitals in 1986. Other concerts of note at the university have included first South Carolina performances of Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated”, Karel Husa’s “First Sonata” and John Adams’ ‘Phrygian Gates”
Students of Mr. Adams have achieved national recognition, including three national finalists in the MTNA. Young Artists Competition, a winner of the Van Cliburn Amateur Competition, and many South Carolina events, including many winners of the USC Symphony Concerto-Aria Competition.
John Kenneth Adams is Distingusihed Professor Emeritus at USC. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from SCMTA in 2001, an Award of Merit from Yale University in 2000, and a Mungo Award for Distinguished Teaching from USC in 1998.
