bio
Pianist JACOB GREENBERG's work as a soloist and chamber musician has earned worldwide acclaim. As a longtime member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), he has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. He has worked with composers as diverse as George Crumb, György Kurtág, Harrison Birtwistle, and Tan Dun, and frequently plays his own compositions in recital. His solo concert series, Music at Close Range, shows his equal commitment to classics of the repertoire.
Through his position as ICE's Director of Education, Mr. Greenberg introduces young people to new music in public schools across the country. He has also taught at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, where he earned degrees in music and religion, and he completed his master's and doctoral degrees at Northwestern University, where he studied with Ursula Oppens.
A leading pianist of modern song, he has toured extensively with soprano Tony Arnold. Other ensemble performances include MusicNOW, with members of the Chicago Symphony, and Contempo at the University of Chicago. As an orchestral player, he has also appeared with the New York Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic.
Mr. Greenberg has recorded for the Bridge, Naxos, Mode, Kairos, Centaur, Tzadik, and New Amsterdam labels, and live performances have been heard on WQXR New York, BBC Radio 3, WFMT Chicago and Radio Netherlands. His critically acclaimed solo disc, Solitary, was released in 2010 on New Focus Recordings. Other CDs include solo and chamber music of George Crumb with ICE (Bridge 9261) and a disc pairing Schumann and Ferruccio Busoni.
Recent highlights include a guest performance of works of György Kurtág at the International Summer Courses in Darmstadt, Germany; a recital tour with flutist Claire Chase; Messiaen's Harawi at the Library of Congress; and Harrison Birtwistle's Slow Frieze with conductor Ludovic Morlot at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival. www.jacobgreenberg.net.
