Kevin McMillan, baritone with Gabriel Dobner, piano
Tue, 19 Feb 2013 8:00 PM
- Sat, 19 Jan 2013 8:00 PM
Recital Hall
Kevin McMillan’s performing career has spanned over 25 years
with more than 750 concerts, 15 commercial recordings, a Grammy award, a
Gramophone award and numerous Juno award nominations. Critics have
praised his “elegant lyric baritone voice” and “singularly remarkable
interpretive skills” in appearances with virtually every major North
American orchestra, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston
Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los
Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. He has also
established a presence in Europe, with appearances in centers such as
London, Berlin, Barcelona, Paris and Prague. He has worked with such
conductors as Herbert Blomstedt, Pierre Boulez, Raphael Frühbeck de
Burgos, Sir Andrew Davis, Charles Dutoit, Neeme Jarvi, Jesus
Lopez–Cobos, Kurt Masur, Sir Roger Norrington, Hellmuth Rilling and the
late Robert Shaw and Sergiu Commissiona. Professor McMillan joined the
faculty of the James Madison University School of Music in 2009.
Pianist Gabriel Dobner first appeared in concert in Europe
in 1991 with the Villa Musica Chamber Music Ensemble in Mainz, Germany.
1993 marked the beginning of his eight years in Germany, after having
been awarded a German Academic Exchange Scholarship (DAAD) to study lied
accompanying in Munich with Professor Helmut Deutsch. The following
year he won the special collaborative pianist prize in the International
Hans Pfitzner Lieder Competition in Munich. While living in Augsburg,
Dobner quickly established himself as one of Germany’s most sought–after
collaborative pianists, performing regularly with such notable singers
as Cornelia Kallisch, René Kollo and Kevin McMillan. These
collaborations led to performances in many of the major concert venues
in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Japan. Dobner has recorded
for both the Ottavo and MDG labels, winning high praise from BBC Music
Magazine, Fono Forum and the West German Radio in Cologne, who referred
to him as a “master among Lieder pianists.” Dobner received a BM degree
from Roosevelt University and his MM and Doctorate degrees from Indiana
University.
