Fall 2014 Forum Series

Music at NJIT: Pianist Donald Pirone

September 26, 2014, 11:30 A.M.- 1:00 P.M.
Jim Wise Theater

Pianist Donald Pirone will bring his acclaimed talent to campus on September 26 for the first of the 2014-2015 presentations of the newly renamed NJIT Technology, Art and Science Forum. Pirone will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Jim Wise Theatre.

Widely hailed for his “spontaneous, sensitive and virtuosic” interpretations at the keyboard, Pirone has performed in venues that include Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, the 92nd Street Y, and Carnegie Hall. His performances have been broadcast by in the U.S. by WQXR and WNYC, and in Europe by the BBC. He has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and appeared with orchestras throughout the U.S., among them the Yaquina Chamber Orchestra in Oregon, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, the Norfolk Chamber Orchestra in Virginia, and the Queens Philharmonic in New York.

In addition to his performances of masterpieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, Pirone is noted for his exploration of 20th-century music. He is internationally recognized for his recordings of music by the Polish composer Karol Rathaus, particularly his performance of the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 45. Pirone’s most recent recording, Rathaus’s Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 58, will be released later this year.  A proponent of all 20th-century music, he has recorded many new works as well. In addition to Koch International, he has recorded for the CRI, Heritage and Capstone labels.

At NJIT, Pirone will perform Leo Kraft’s 1958 Partita No. 1, Prelude, Capriccio, Arietta, Toccata. The program will also include 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven and Frédéric Chopin’s Etude in Ab Major, Op. 25, No. 1 and Polonaise in F# Minor, Op. 44.

The recipient of many awards for his artistry, Pirone completed his bachelor’s in music at Queens College and later won a scholarship to The Juilliard School, where he received a master’s in music.  He holds a Ph.D. from New York University and has studied with such eminent artists as

Leon Pommers, Josef Raieff and Seymour Lipkin.

Pirone, who lives in Flushing, New York, is director of The Lawrence Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music and a member of the piano faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music, both part of Queens College.

Pirone’s performance is sponsored by the NJIT Technology and Society Forum Committee, NJIT Granular Science Laboratory, Music at NJIT, Albert Dorman Honors College, and Sigma Xi.

NJIT welcomes attendees from all area colleges and universities. For more information, contact Jay Kappraff, jay.m.kappraff@njit.edu or 973-596-3490. Visit the NJIT Technology, Art and Science Forum on the Web at http://tsf.njit.edu. Previous Forum presentations are available at http://itunes.njit.edu; search for “Technology and Society Forum.”