March daily: Kevin Miller
A powerhouse pianist in the middle of everything.
Kevin Miller got his start as a student in the Boys Choir of Harlem (the man can sing; you haven’t lived until you’ve heard him do his bang-on, beautiful imitation of queen Leontyne Price). He got his start as a pianist there too, accompanying the choir on national and international tours. He honed his skills in both solo and collaborative piano at Mannes and Michigan, and brought his keyboard chops and singing savoir-faire to various professional training programs, eventually landing in opera. These days, he’s showing up as a conductor as well in a schedule chock full of opera, concerts, and recordings with the likes of Lawrence Brownlee, Karen Slack, John Holiday, Joseph Calleja, Nadine Sierra, and Kenneth Overton. Few Black men have been welcomed to US orchestral podiums, and even fewer have been afforded prominence at the piano in partnership with other artists, so Kevin’s presence is a welcome change, and inspiring to those who will come after him. Kevin’s technical excellence, deep expression, fearless collaboration, and joyous spirit inspire me every day. Give this brilliant man a listen!
thanks for reading.