Biography

William Robert Martin is an American concert pianist based in Chicago, Illinois.

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After making his professional debut in  2015 with the National Symphony Orchestra at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he has been regularly

featured in performances with symphony orchestras throughout the United States

and Canada. His solo performances have been broadcast on WFMT and

Wisconsin Public Radio.

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Mr. Martin specializes in the music of George Gershwin. With the permission of the Gershwin Family Interests, he has studied the original manuscripts of Rhapsody in Blue in the archives of the Library of Congress. These manuscripts, as well as Gershwin’s own recorded history, inform Mr. Martin’s interpretation of Rhapsody as a whoop from the Jazz Age—more Tin Pan Alley than Tchaikovsky.

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An ardent educator and champion of the arts, Mr. Martin collaborates with Classical Kids LIVE!, the world’s leading producer of theatrical-symphony concerts for family audiences, to introduce over 100,000 children annually to the lives and music of the great composers. Their newest production, Gershwin’s Magic Key, is licensed by the Gershwin Family Interests, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, and performed around the globe. Mr. Martin co-wrote the script and music supervised the production, which has been nominated for the 2017 International Young Audience Music Awards as "Best Production."

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A graduate of the Conservatory at Lawrence University, Mr. Martin studied under Emma Tahmizian and Michael Mizrahi. There, he took both the B.Mus piano performance and the B.A. English magna cum laude. He currently works with the world’s leading Gershwin archivist, Kevin Cole, and studies under Sheila Paige, who learned from Dorothy Taubman. 

Upcoming Bookings

March 24, 2018

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Roy Thompson Hall | Toronto, ON

March 13, 2018

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts | Chicago, IL

February 23, 2018

Muncie Symphony Orchestra

Emens Auditorium | Muncie, IN

October 8, 2017

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Chenery Auditorium | Kalamazoo, MI

Booking History

July 12, 2017

National Repertory Orchestra @

Bravo! Vail Music Festival

Kensho Watanabe, conductor
Gerald R. Ford Ampitheater | Vail, CO

July 11, 2017

National Repertory Orchestra @

Breckenridge Music Festival

Kensho Watanabe, conductor
Riverwalk Center | Breckenridge, CO

April 22, 2017

Utah Symphony

Rei Hotoda, conductor
Abravanel Hall | Salt Lake City, UT

February 4, 2017

North Carolina Symphony

Grant Llewellyn, conductor
Meymandi Hall | Raleigh, NC

January 22, 2017

Peoria Symphony Orchestra

George Stelluto, conductor
Peoria Civic Center | Peoria, IL

December 7, 2016

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Brier, conductor
Chenery Auditorium | Kalamazoo, MI

March 13, 2016

Santa Rosa Symphony

Richard Loheyde, conductor
Weill Hall | Green Music Center | Santa Rosa, CA

January 30, 2016

Wichita Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Hege, conductor
Century II Concert Hall | Wichita, KS

January 24, 2016

Kansas City Symphony

Christopher James Lees, conductor
Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center | Kansas City, MO

January 10, 2016

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Gordon Gerrard, conductor
Orpheum Theatre | Vancouver, BC

November 4, 2015

York Symphony Orchestra

Stephen Czarkowski, conductor
Appell Center for the Performing Arts | York, PA

October 25, 2015

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra

Arie Lipsky, conductor
Michigan Theatre | Ann Arbor, MI

April 26, 2015

National Symphony Orchestra

Benjamin Rous, conductor
The Concert Hall | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington, DC