Described as "dazzling" (Washington Post) critics have hailed the powerful performances of pianist Steven Spooner and noted that the "American had everything: polished technique, musical intelligence, innate sensitivity, and a personality that reaches across the keyboard." Steven has performed around the world and is quickly becoming one of the more noted American pianists of his generation. He has given solo recitals at prestigious venues such as the Salle Cortot in Paris, Holland's Vredenburg Centre, Budapest's Great Hall of the Liszt Academy, Geneva's Fete de la Musique and numerous halls across Europe, Latin America, South America, and the United States. Recently, he made his Carnegie Hall recital debut in a tour sponsored by the Hungarian Government and this season will perform in Rome (Academia Santa Cecilia), New York (Carnegie Weill Recital Hall), Washington D.C. (National Gallery of Art), Jakarta, Singapore (Esplanade Recital Hall), Budapest, Italy, and throughout Asia. Dr. Spooner wields an unusually large repertoire and recently mounted an enormous recital series akin to Anton Rubinstein's 18 historic solo recitals of 1885 embracing the standard piano literature from the Baroque to composers of the 21st century. His continued interest in new music leads him to collaborate with Egyptian composer Mohammed Fairouz (commissioned by the ROKI Foundation) to premiere and record several of his works during the 2011/12 season. Mr. Spooner plans to present the 32 Beethoven Sonatas in 9 recitals in the fall of 2012.

Steven has been unusually successful in the limited number of international piano competitions in which he participated-he is prizewinner at each of the seven international piano competitions he has entered and top prizewinner at both the Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the Artlivre International Piano Competition. He captured First Prize and was recipient of the Niekamp Career Grant as most outstanding pianist in French music at the Paris Conservatory. He also holds prizes from the New Orleans International Piano Competition and his performance at the 1999 International Liszt Competition was a sensational success that resulted in several return invitations to Holland. Russian piano legend and Moscow Conservatory Professor Viktor Merzhanov commented, "His performances possess the deep understanding of the contents of Liszt's works, organic and instinctive feeling of form and outstanding virtuosity. The crystal-clear enunciation of each tone and the feeling of phrasal climaxes and structure are also worth mentioning. His pianistic art must attract more attention from concert organizers around the world."

Steven is an active chamber collaborator and has performed with a diverse and distinguished list of vocalists and instrumentalists including, Silk Road Ensemble Bassist Daxun Zhang, former Philadelphia Orchestra Trombonist, M. Dee Stewart, Baritone Chris Thompson, and prize-winning violinist Leor Maltinsky. Dr. Spooner's orchestral engagements include performances with the Danubia Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Crescent City Symphony, New Orleans Civic Symphony, Ozark Chamber Orchestra, and recent performances with the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin during their tour of North America.

Dr. Spooner has released 14 recordings on the EMR Classics, Everythingmusic and IU recording labels. He has studied at Paris Conservatory, Moscow and Tbilisi Conservatories in the former Soviet Union, and earned his doctorate at Indiana University, Bloomington. His teachers/coaches include Tatiana Nikolaeva (Moscow Conservatory), Karen Shaw, Edmund Battersby, and Leonard Hokanson (Indiana University, Bloomington), Emile Naoumoff (Paris Conservatory and Indiana University, Bloomington), and Nodar Gabunia (Tbilisi Conservatory), and Logan Skelton. In 2008 he was the final recipient of the Ivory Classics Foundation prize that enabled him to study with the legendary virtuoso Earl Wild.

He has served as guest artist-in-residence at Paris Conservatory Summer Sessions and has been appointed to the Artist Faculty of the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy, the International Institute for Young Musicians, and the Adam Gyorgy Castle Academy in Budapest, and the JCoM Fest in Jakarta. Dr. Spooner is increasingly in demand for his engaging and energetic masterclasses at major music institutions all over the world such as the Paris Conservatory, Milan Conservatory, Liszt Academy of Music, and the Shanghai and Beijing Conservatories. Steven currently serves on the piano faculty at the University of Kansas and specializes in workshops and lectures on a variety of performance and pedagogical topics. A dedicated and caring teacher, Steven's students have been named winners of several prizes at national and international piano competitions. Steven Spooner is a Steinway Artist. Further info: www.stevenspooner.com.

REVIEWS

THE WASHINGTON POST, Review of the American Liszt Society National Festival. 5/2008 "At the same time, there was already plenty to listen to -- and watch -- during a performance Saturday at Catholic University's Hartke Theatre of the composer's transcription of Schubert's "Erlkoenig." Anything added to Steven Spooner's dazzling, blurry-handed sweeps of the entire piano would have been dizzying."

THE BRESLAU NEWS, 10/5/2002 "The competition (The International Liszt Competition) on Thursday afternoon was ruled by the very professional, serious, and beautiful performance of Steven Spooner from the U.S.A. His playing was thought through to the finest detail from the beginning to its perfect conclusion. His Transcendental Etudes, Wilde Jagd and Harmonies du Soir were virtuosic and emotionally stirring. The Schubert Serenade in Liszt's transcription was both lyrical and clearly conceived."

SAVANNAH TIMES, Review of Hilton Head International Piano Competition winner's recital. 10/25/1996 "American Steven Spooner had everything: polished technique, musical intelligence, innate sensitivity, and a personality that reaches across the keyboard. Spooner's Scarlatti (Dominico, Sonatas K. 213 and 184) were perfectly sketched pieces of understatement highlighting the 26-year-old's clarity, sensitivity and simplicity of statement. But Spooner has plenty of what Maestro Claudio Abbado calls the Big Utterance. Spooner used pedal technique rather than force to coax immense sound, achieving dense volume from the middle voice, and a growling resonance in the low voice. Accuracy was commendable throughout."

THE HERALD TIMES, Review of all Liszt concert. 11/13/2002 "Spooner, victor in the Liszt Competition in Russia, took on music of what was referred to as the 'virtuoso Liszt,' music of the composer as a young man...There were flourishes galore and chordal clusters and runs and resounding climaxes...One heard phenomenally agile pianism along with temperamentally sensitive musicianship."

THE HERALD TIMES, Review of duo concert with violinist Leor Maltinski. 8/6/2002 "Following a break, Maltinski turned to Beethoven and Franck. The Beethoven A Minor Sonata for Violin and Piano, Opus 23, brought forth an appropriate energy mixed with reserve. From both the violinist and pianist Steven Spooner one heard a warmth of touch and temperament that gave the sonata just the right adornment. Here was well-executed Beethoven." "The Franck Sonata in A Major sounded just as embracing Sunday as it did Friday. What a delicious musical confection it is, and what a test for both instrumentalists. Maltinski's interpretation was a winning one, generous in floating tones as well as flaming passage work, where called for. In total, his reading - beautifully complemented by Spooner - left a dreamy impression, almost other worldly in nature."

CAROLINA MORNING NEWS, Review of Hilton Head International Piano Competition winner's recital. 10/1996 "Louisiana-born Steven Spooner, 26, rounded out the program with enchanting interpretations of two Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti--some of the most interesting pianistic characterizations of these harpsichord compositions one is apt to encounter... enchanting."

EMILE NAOUMOFF, concert pianist, Sony recording artist, composer, Associate Prof. Indiana University "It is an honor and almost a duty for me to be able to fully recommend Steven Spooner. He is among more than the top 1% of his generation as an auspicious pianist, musician, scholar. His stage presence is striking, his ear and his fingers have an amazing complicity. He has the enlighted touch of a Lipatti, the power of a Richter, both mental and physical, the articulation of Michelangeli...he becomes 'one' with the instrument, carving the sounds into meaningful rests as well. He is an inspiration to all of us around him."

VIKTOR MERZHANOV, concert pianist, Professor, Moscow Conservatory, from letter of recommendation, 2002. "His performance possesses the deep understanding of the contents of Liszt's works, organic and instinctive feeling of form and outstanding virtuosity. His programs for the first and second rounds of the competition were very demanding, requiring not only technical perfection but the ability to create colorful artistic images. The crystal-clear enunciation of each tone and the feeling of phrasal climaxes and structure are also worth mentioning. All of the above made Mr. Spooner's playing very memorable. His pianistic art must attract more attention from concert organizers around the world."