Leon Bates (pianist) facts for kids

Leon Bates (born 1949) is an American pianist. He is known for his amazing classical piano performances around the world.

Early Life and Talents

Leon Bates was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From a young age, he showed great talent in music. By the time he was six, he was already very good at playing both the piano and the violin.

He studied music with talented teachers. His early teacher was Irene Beck. Later, he learned from Natalie Hinderas at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Leon Bates had two main interests growing up. Besides music, he also loved bodybuilding. He believed that being physically strong helped him perform better on the piano. He said that the most challenging music pieces need a lot of energy. Being fit helped him have enough energy for these big performances.

Performing Around the World

Leon Bates has traveled all over the world to perform. He has played with many famous orchestras. In the United States, he performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also played with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony.

His performances also took him to Europe. He played with the Vienna Symphony, Sinfonieorchester Basel, and the Radio-Orchestra of Dublin. Other orchestras include the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestra Sinfonica dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He also performed with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden.

One of his most memorable concerts was with Lorin Maazel and the Orchestra of France. This special event celebrated the 500,000th piano built at Carnegie Hall. The concert was held at the famous La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy. Leon Bates has also helped create music for a teaching book called Piano Discoveries with Janet Vogt.