2010 Gilmore Young Artist Charlie Albright has won the 2009 Young Concert Artists Competition, and he will be on their roster and under their management for three years.
Having performed duets and chamber music on multiple occasions with such artists as cellist Yo-Yo Ma (thrice) and such groups as the Silk Road Project (twice), the national and international competition winner has performed or competed across the United States, France, Australia, Norway, and Portugal.
Currently a Junior majoring in Economics as a pre-medical student at Harvard College, Albright was the first classical pianist in the Harvard/New England Conservatory of Music 5-Year B.A./M.M. Joint Program, and studies with Wha-Kyung Byun. He studied with Nancy Adsit, from whom he still receives master lessons, for eleven years prior to moving to Boston, and received his Associate Degree in General Science from the Centralia College in 2007. In addition to a full academic course load, Charlie maintains an active international performing career, having competed or performed throughout the United States, as well as in France, Australia, Norway, and Portugal.
The young artist gave a solo concert commemorating the 5-year memorial of the World Trade Center attacks at Trinity Church in New York City, a duet performance with Yo-Yo Ma at an honorary degree ceremony for Senator Ted Kennedy at Harvard University with such guests as Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Vice President Joe Biden, and another collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma at a program commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, featuring Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.
The young artist has performed many concertos with numerous orchestras around the United States, including the Seattle Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Olympia Symphony Orchestra, Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Bach Society Orchestra, and Northwest Wind Symphony.
Charlie received first prize at the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, all top prizes at the 2006 Eastman International Piano Competition, and first prize at the 2005 IIYM International Piano Competition. The first in history, the young artist won first prize in both the solo and ensemble divisions of the 2006 Biennial New York Piano Competition. Other awards include third prize in the 2007 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the Best Stage I Performance of a Study by Liszt and Semi-Finalist Prizes at the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition, Top Twelve in the 2009 Top of the World International Piano Competition, and Top Six in the 2008 Grand Prix Animato International Piano Competition, and the Elizabeth Leonskaya Special Award at the 2009 Vendome Prize International Piano Competition.
An advocate of higher education, Charlie raised money through a benefit concert creating the Charlie Albright Scholarship, which was given to seven students in 2009. Additionally, the Charlie Albright Piano Project was initiated to raise money for a 9-foot Steinway to be purchased for Corbet Hall at Charlie’s alma mater, Centralia College. The piano was purchased at the end of 2009 and was dedicated to him by the College.
The twenty-seven worldwide concerts and master classes in the 2010–2011 Concert Season will include debuts with the San Francisco and Seattle Symphony Orchestras; a solo debut in Germany at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Music Festival; and official debuts in Boston at the Elizabeth Gardner Museum; in New York at the Merkin Concert Hall; and in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The 2009–2010 concert season included performances in Skytop, Pennsylvania; Los Angeles, CA; Bellingham, WA (including teaching a master class); Paris, France; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Olympia, WA; Centralia, WA; and six in Michigan as part of the 2010 Gilmore Keyboard Festival.
