DR. BARUCH MEIR, USA/ ISRAEL

Baruch Meir is an exceptional artist, he did a beautiful performance of my piano work entitled A LITTLE SUITE FOR CHRISTMASS which was distinguished by a deep musical insights and consummate technical skill. It was certainly one of the very finest performances this work of mine has ever received" (George Crumb, composer; 1968 Pulitzer Prize in Music; 2001 Grammy award; 2004 Musical America "composer of the year").

Pianist Baruch Meir has performed extensively in Austria, China, England, France, Israel, Portugal, Serbia and throughout the United States. Meir has recently presented two solo recitals at the Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna, as well as at the Bauman Auditorium in Portland (Bösendorfer Concert Series), Dixon Hall in New Orleans, Wise Auditorium in Jerusalem, Bates Hall in Austin, Murphy Hall in Los Angeles, and at the Toujours Mozart Festival in Salzburg. In 2008 he performed five recitals for the National Concert Season in Serbia. Currently an Artist/Teacher Associate Professor of Piano at Arizona State University, Meir maintains a busy teaching schedule in addition to his international concert career. In demand as master class clinician, Meir toured Korea\'s most prestigious music schools and universities including Seoul National University, Yonsei, Kookmin, Hanyang, Sunhwa, Kyoungbook and Seoul Arts High School, as well as at the Shanghai Conservatory in China and the middle-school affiliated to the conservatory (2005 & 2007), the Music Academy in Vienna (Austria), the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem (Israel), the Manhattan School of Music in NY and various conservatories and universities in the US.

A native of Israel, Meir is a summa cum laude graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music of Tel Aviv University, where he earned both bachelor and master degrees in piano performance. He holds the Artist Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from ASU. His teachers include Rachel Gordon, Valter Aufheuser, Pnina Salzman, Michael Bugoslavsky, Irina Zaritskaya and Robert Hamilton. Meir\'s distinctions include the American-Israel Cultural Foundation Awards, the British Council fellowship, 1st place at the Klatzkin Competition for contemporary piano music and the ASU concerto competition, and additional awards in piano competitions worldwide. Dr. Meir is the Founder, President & Artistic Director of the Bösendorfer & Schimmel USASU International Piano Competitions which he organized through a partnership between the Arizona Young Artist Committee, The Herberger College School of Music and the European Bösendorfer and Schimmel piano co mpanies.

At Arizona State University, professor Meir maintains a class of outstanding pianists from all over the world. His students were awarded more than 43 prizes in various competitions within the past several years, including 1st Prize at the 2008 Schimmel USASU International Senior Piano Competition for Young Pianists, 1st Prize at the Young Concert Artist International Competition, and the 1st Prize at Washington International Piano Artists Competition, to name only a few. His students regularly participate in summer music festivals throughout the US and Europe including Aspen, Adamant, Brevard, Schlern, TCU/Cliburn Institute, IIYM, Prague, New- Paltz, Wasserman, Mannes and Tel-Hai. In July 2009, Meir will join the piano faculty at Musicfest Perugia in Italy as Director of the Piano Institute (http://www.musicfestperugia.com).

Baruch Meir is one of only 65 artists worldwide named Bösendorfer Concert Artist since the founding of the company in 1828.