Anthony Byrne (pianist) facts for kids

Anthony Byrne was born on July 30, 1958. He is a talented pianist from Ireland. He is well-known for playing classical music and for helping new Irish music get heard.

Early Life and Learning

Anthony Byrne grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He started learning piano with teachers like Marie Jones and John O'Conor.

Later, he traveled to study music. In 1980, he went to the University of Western Ontario in Canada. There, he learned from the British pianist Peter Katin. In 1981 and 1982, he studied in New York with Adele Marcus. At the same time, he also learned how to conduct music with Vincent La Selva at the famous Juilliard School. Anthony Byrne finished his piano studies in London, England, with Alexander Kelly.

His Music Career

Anthony Byrne has played many piano concerts and appeared on radio shows for RTÉ (Ireland's national broadcaster) and the BBC. He had his first big concert in Dublin at the National Concert Hall in 1985. He also played in London at the Purcell Room in 1986 and the Wigmore Hall in 1989.

He has performed many times with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. In 1997, he played the Irish premiere of Leroy Anderson's Piano Concerto. This means it was the first time that piece was played in Ireland. He has also performed in the United States, Canada, and Japan. Anthony Byrne enjoys playing with other musicians and singers too. He performed all of Beethoven's sonatas for piano and violin with Alan Smale, who was the leader of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.

Playing New Irish Music

One of the most important things Anthony Byrne does is play and promote new piano music by Irish composers. He has performed and broadcast more than 50 new musical works. Out of these, 17 were "first performances," meaning he was the very first person to play them in public.

He has helped many Irish composers share their music, including:

• John Buckley, who wrote pieces especially for Anthony Byrne.
• Rhona Clarke, who also wrote music for him.
• Jerome de Bromhead, whose pieces he premiered.
• Raymond Deane, for whom he performed new works with orchestra.
• Benjamin Dwyer, who composed pieces for him.
• Philip Martin, whose music was commissioned by Anthony Byrne.
• Colman Pearce, who wrote pieces specifically for him.
• James Wilson, whose new works he premiered.

Recordings

Anthony Byrne has recorded several albums, helping to preserve and share the music he plays. Some of his recordings include:

• The complete piano music by John Buckley, released in 1999.
• Piano and Choral music by Bernard Geary, released in 2000.
• Orchestral Works by Raymond Deane, released in 1999.
• Piano Music from a Victorian Age by Arthur O'Leary, released in 2002.

Recognition

Anthony Byrne has received special honors for his musical work. He is an Associate of the Royal College of Music in London. In 1993, he was given the Ishibashi Zogoro Memorial Scholarship in Japan. This award recognized his important work in promoting new Irish music. He has also been listed in important books like the Encyclopedia of Ireland 2003 and Who's Who in Ireland 2006.

Teaching

Since 1991, Anthony Byrne has been a Senior Lecturer in Piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. This means he teaches piano to students there, helping to train the next generation of musicians.