WILSON, N.C. — March 18, 2022 — Acclaimed American pianist Thomas Pandolfi returns to the Barton College stage to join the Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra for its annual Spring Concert on Friday evening, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Family Theatre on campus. The orchestra, conducted by music director Mark N. Peterson, will feature Pandolfi performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1. The special evening concert will also celebrate the tenure of Peterson, who will be retiring at the end of spring semester.
“I can think of no better way to conclude my 20 years with Barton College than with this extraordinary concert,” shared Peterson. “We are thrilled to welcome Thomas Pandolfi back to Wilson and Barton College. His previous performances at Barton have been inspiring, and, no doubt, the upcoming performance of this perennial favorite will be mesmerizing. The Friday evening performance will make my final concert, conducting the Barton/Wilson Symphony Orchestra, very special indeed.”
The orchestra will also be performing the classic “Academic Festival Overture” by Johannes Brahms.
All seats must be reserved in advance. Tickets for reserved seating are $10 per person or by season ticket. Admission for Barton faculty, staff, and students is free, but these seats also must be reserved in advance. To make reservations, please contact Bonnie LoSchiavo at blloschiavo@barton.edu or 252-399-6559. Social distancing will be observed, and face masks are encouraged, but not required.
About the Musician —
An exciting virtuoso who, with each passing season, has become more and more sought after by audiences worldwide, Pandolfi has been showered with superlatives by critics for his passionate artistry and amazing technique. His orchestral appearances often feature not only the beloved masterpiece concerti by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Liszt, but also the equally brilliant ones by Paderewski, Rubinstein, and Moszkowski. Additionally in the “Pops” genre, Thomas’ critically acclaimed performances of “Rhapsody in Blue” (Gershwin), “Concerto in F” (Gershwin), “Warsaw Concerto” (Addinsell), and the “James Bond Concerto” (Proctor) are immensely popular.
Pandolfi has collaborated with conductors such as Piotr Gajewski, Dimitru Goia, Sabin Pautza, Emil Seigbert Maxim, Peter Schmelzer, Mihail Agafita, Grigori Moseico, David Russell Hulme, Andreas Delfs, Elizabeth Schulze, Miriam Burns, Sebrina Alfonso, Nicholas Palmer, William Intrilligator, Kim Allen Kluge, Robert Hart Baker, Crafton Beck, Ray Fowler, Glenn Quader, Scott Wood, Lawrence Rapchak, Gordon Johnson, and Raffaele Ponti.
He has been a guest soloist with The National Philharmonic, Ohio Valley Symphony, North Charleston Pops, Cheyenne Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Symphonicity, Amadeus Orchestra, McLean Orchestra and Frederick Symphony, The Paducah Symphony, The Charlotte Symphony (Fla.), The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, The Amadeus Orchestra, The Tiraspol Philharmonic, The Alexandria Symphony, and The Maryland Symphony at The Garrett Lakes Arts Festival. Pandolfi also has served as Artist-in-Residence at The Black Rock Center for the Arts in Maryland.
His recital tours have taken him to more than 20 states across the United States, and his international concerts have carried him across the globe to China, Europe, and Canada.
An outstanding cross-over artist, Pandolfi’s virtuoso transcriptions of the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Marvin Hamlisch are in much demand. Last season, Pandolfi offered further such transcriptions in unique programs titled “Burt, Barry and Beyond” (the music of Burt Bacharach and Barry Manilow) and “Somewhere Tonight in America: A 20th Century Celebration,” including a magnificent transcription of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” British composer Simon Proctor also wrote a “Sinatra Piano Concerto” for Pandolfi, which coincided with the 100th birthday celebration of Frank Sinatra, and a brand new “Andrew Lloyd Webber Concerto,” also for Pandolfi.
Following a violin concerto for Midori, and a saxophone concerto for Branford Marsalis, film and concert composers Kim Allen Kluge and Kathryn Vassar Kluge composed The American Piano Concerto for Pandolfi, which was a tremendous success at its world premiere in May 2016, with Pandolfi as soloist, co-composer Kim Kluge on the podium, and The Alexandria Symphony.
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Pandolfi earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees as a scholarship student. The proud father of a wonderful son and daughter, he makes his home in Washington, D.C.
About the Conductor —
Peterson was named Director of Music at Barton College in 2001. Since his appointment, he has directed more than 90 concerts with the Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra and has brought dozens of extraordinary guest artists to several Wilson area venues.
A native of Massachusetts, Peterson holds degrees from Boston University and the University of New Hampshire, and served for many years on the faculties of Bradford College and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. At Barton College, he also directs the college choir and has served as Music Director for numerous college musical theatre productions.
Peterson also serves as Director of Music at the Parish of St. Therese in Wilson, where he provides his congregation with a “well regulated” music program, which includes a steady diet of Bach organ music. During his time away from campus and church, Peterson enjoys practicing, composing, lawn maintenance, and studying German.
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