Robert McDonald

Photo by Carlin Ma

Pianist Robert McDonald has played extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. He has appeared with major orchestras in the US and Latin America, and was the recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern, as well as other celebrated instrumentalists. McDonald has also performed with the Takács, Vermeer, Juilliard, Brentano, Borromeo, American and Shanghai String Quartets, and in tours with Music from Marlboro. 

A member of the piano faculty at The Juilliard School since 1999, McDonald joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007. For the past 28 summers, he has coached piano and performed at the Taos School of Music, where he also serves as the school's Artistic Director. In addition he teaches at the Banff Music Festival.

McDonald's discography includes recordings for Sony Classical, Bridge, Vox, Musical Heritage Society, ASV, and CRI, and prizes include the Gold Medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition, the William Kapell International Competition, and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award.  

He has studied with Theodore Rehl, Seymour Lipkin, Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Beveridge Webster, and Gary Graffman, and holds degrees from Lawrence University, the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and the Manhattan School of Music.