Blair McMillen
Described by the New York Times as “prodigiously accomplished and exciting” and as one of the piano’s “brilliant stars,” pianist Blair McMillen leads a life at the forefront of contemporary pianism. He has played concert halls and festivals around the world, and his repertoire spans from medieval manuscripts to today’s generation of up-and-coming composers. He has played concertos with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and given solo appearances with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Albany Symphony. In 2015 he undertook a three-week solo tour of Brazil sponsored by the U.S. State Department. McMillen is cofounder and codirector of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, an “indie-classical” outdoor concert series held on New York City’s Governors Island. He has served on the music faculty at Bard College since 2005, and he joined the faculty of the Mannes School of Music in 2017.