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Paul Barnes

The eclectic interests of pianist Paul Barnes have taken him from monasteries in the Judean desert to the Liszt Academy in Budapest.  Hailed by the American Record Guide as "a magnificent pianist," the San Francisco Chronicle as “ferociously virtuosic” and “a riveting and sensitive player” by the Indianapolis Star, Barnes has been featured three times on NPR’s Performance Today.  He was featured on the November 2004 cover of Clavier Magazine and has recently performed in Jerusalem, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Greece, Serbia, Seoul, Vienna, Budapest, and in major cities throughout the United States.

Deeply inspired by the aesthetic challenge of minimalism, in 2004 Barnes gave the world the premier performance of Philip Glass’ Piano Concerto No. 2, After Lewis and Clark with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra under Victor Yampolsky. In November of 2004 Barnes performed the concerto with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra at Harvard University's Sanders Theater.  Barnes will perform the concerto at the prestigious Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival with conductor Marin Alsop in August of 2005 and will then record the concerto in September of 2005 with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra to be released by Orange Mountain Music. Orange Mountain Music recently released Barnes' recording of his transcriptions from the operas of Philip Glass, including both the Trilogy Sonata and the Orphée Suite for Piano. 

A champion of many of today’s important composers, Barnes' electrifying performances of David Ott's Second Piano Concerto have brought audiences to their feet both in the Unites States and in Europe. Barnes also serves as head chanter at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln.  His fascination with Byzantine chant has lead to a world premier last year of a piano concerto written by Victoria Bond based on a Greek chant.   The work entitled Ancient Keys was premiered with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Kirk Trevor.

With performances throughout Europe, the Near East, the Far East, and the United States Barnes' unique lecture/recitals have received international acclaim. “Liszt and the Cross: Music as Sacrament in the B Minor Sonata,” explores the fascinating relationship between music, theology, and the Orthodox icon. Barnes’ live recording of this lecture recital was recently released on the Liszt Digital label.

Recently elected to the national board of the American Liszt Society, Barnes hosted the 2005 ALS festival at the University of Nebraska Lincoln from April 14-16, 2005. On April 15, or 2005 Barnes performed the piano part to Liszt's late choral work Via Crucis, Liszt's progressive and poignant setting of the fourteen Stations of the Cross and Barnes recently gave the world premier performance of Concerto for Amplified Piano and Wind Ensemble by Jeffrey Hass at Indiana University with conductor Ray Kramer.  Barnes' premier recording of this concerto along with other works by Jeffrey Hass was just released on the Albany label.

Barnes is Associate Professor and Co-chair of Piano at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music.  He teaches during the summer at the Bosendorfer International Piano Academy in Vienna and also coaches the students of Menahem Pressler, Barnes' own teacher, at Indiana University.  Barnes is married to pianist Ann Chang Barnes, Senior Lecturer in Piano at UNL and Founder/Artistic Director of the Meadowlark Music Festival.  The Barnes' have three remarkable children, Sarah, Hannah, and Peter, and two exceptional dogs.