KU music professor nominated for Grammy
Joining the ranks of Mary J. Blige, the Dixie Chicks and John Mayer, Robert Koenig, KU associate professor of piano and chamber music, has been nominated for a Grammy Award. His recording of "Viola Transcriptions" by William Primrose caught the judges' ears and may win him his own golden statue. Koenig will learn his fate during the 49th annual ceremony at the Los Angeles Staples Center Feb. 11.
"Viola Transcriptions" includes music by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Villa-Lobos, Wagner and others, transcribed by Primrose, a British violist, for viola and piano. Koenig recorded it in Toronto in 2004 with Roberto Díaz, acclaimed violist and president of the Curtis Institute of Music. The Naxos label released their work in summer 2006.
"Viola Transcriptions" competed with more than 150 submissions for four coveted spots in the Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) category.
"I'm so thrilled and honored to be nominated," Koenig said. "This project meant so much to both Roberto and me. Just prior to this recording, Roberto had acquired the incredible Amati viola that William Primrose played for many years, and my former teacher and mentor at the Curtis Institute of Music, Dr. Vladimir Sokoloff, was William Primrose's accompanist. From the start, everything about this project just felt so right. It means a great deal to both of us to be recognized by our peers and members of the Recording Academy."
Koenig performs regularly throughout the world. Recent engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He is frequently heard on radio and television including ABC's "Good Morning America" and CBS' "This Morning."
Koenig was staff pianist at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music before accepting his current position at KU, where he has taught for seven years.
