Alan Murray, pianist / Studio Hollywood

Performance Video Recordings can be found on tabs marked *

UPCOMING & HIGHLIGHT EVENTS (Spring 2020 - Spring 2022):

- Debut of the Westchester Chamber Soloists, Westchester's premier chamber orchestra: March 8, 2020

(visit: www.WestchesterChamberSoloists.com).

WCS Chamber Ensembles: see 'Chamber Music' Tab for video recordings of all performances to date.

- May 2022: Re-launch of Westchester Chamber Soloists - chamber orchestra & ensembles / 2022-23 Season Performances

- June 4, 2022: RiverArts Music Tour: Westchester Chamber Soloists & Friends - 25+ musicians collaborate for 9 hours of non-stop chamber music

featuring masterpieces by Beethoven, Brahms, Dohnanyi, Dvorák, Mozart, Poulenc, Rachmaninoff, Schubert and Thuille (see 'RiverArts' 2022 tab)

- 2022-2023 Seasons: Fauré - Fantasie / Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 1 / Schumann & Grieg Piano Concertos

RECENT EVENTS (2019-22):

- March 20 & 23, 2022: Yonkers Philharmonic Youth Concerto Competition (PrizeWinners' Concert: May 7, 2022)

- Feb 26, 2022: Dvořák - Piano Concerto / Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Russell Ger (See Concerto tab)

- Dec 8, 2021: Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 1 / (2-piano version) (see Concerto tab)

- 2021 "Live-at-Home" Series: Beethoven - The 5 Piano Concertos & Choral Fantasia (see Concerto tab)

- 2020 "Live-at-Home" Series: Mozart - The Piano Concertos (complete) (see Mozart Cycle/Concerto tabs)

- Mar 8 & 11, 2020: Studio Hollywood again hosts the Yonkers Philharmonic's Annual Youth Concerto Competition

- Mar 8, 2020: Beethoven - Choral Fantasia & Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 19 / Westchester Chamber Soloists (see Concerto tab)

- Feb 29, 2020: Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 2 / Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington DC, Dimitar Nikolov

- Feb 1, 2020: Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 2 / Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Russell Ger (see Concerto tab)

- Oct 27, 2019: Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 3 / Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra, Tong Chen (see Concerto tab)

- Jul-Oct 2019: 23-city tour of Ukraine (Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv), Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, +7 Trans-Siberia) & China (Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, +6)

- Aug 16, 2019: Ravel - Piano Concerto in G major / International Musicians Academy Festival Orchestra, Ovidiu Marinescu (see Concerto tab)

- Aug 9, 2019: Scriabin - Piano Concerto / International Musicians Academy Festival Orchestra, Cheung Chau (see Concerto tab)

- Jun 7, 2019: Ravel - Piano Concerto for Left Hand & Liszt - Totentanz / Newark Symphony Orchestra, Simeone Tartaglione (see Concerto tab)

- Jun 2, 2019: RiverArts Music Tour 2019 - Duo & Trio Masterpieces for Violin, Cello & Piano (see RiverArts2019Tour tab)

- May 4, 2019: Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini / Immaculata Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Gehring (see Concerto tab)

- Mar 23, 2019: Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 / Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Russell Ger (see Concerto tab)

Alan Murray has appeared extensively in solo and chamber music recitals and as concerto soloist with symphony orchestras in the US, Europe and Asia. Mr. Murray performs under the auspices of Arista International Music Enterprises, based in New York.

The 2022 season marks his tenth consecutive as concerto soloist, having performed over 50 piano concertos to date (~40 live concerto recordings available on this site), with recent and upcoming season appearances featuring performances of the great piano concertos of Bartók (No. 2), Beethoven (Nos. 1-5, Choral Fantasia), Brahms (Nos. 1 & 2), Chopin (Nos. 1 & 2), Dvořák, Liszt (Totentanz), Mozart (complete cycle), Prokofiev (Nos. 2 & 3), Ravel (Left Hand & G major), Rachmaninoff (Nos. 1, 2 & 3, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini), Saint-Saëns (Nos. 2 & 4), Scriabin and Tchaikovsky (No. 1). His pandemic-era 2020 and 2021 "At-Home Concert Series" performances included the complete cycles of Mozart's & Beerthoven's Piano Concertos, both of which originated with the March 2020 public inaugural performance of the Westchester Chamber Soloists (link) chamber orchestra - for which Mr. Murray is founder and Executive & Artistic Director. An active and dedicated chamber musician, Mr. Murray's recent season performances have featured Beethoven's and Brahms' complete Sonatas for Violin & Piano and for Cello & Piano as well as duo, trio, quartet and quintet masterpieces by Arensky, Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Fauré, Franck, Grieg, Piazzolla, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Shostakovich, Schubert, Schumann and Tchaikovsky. (Visit the Chamber Music and RiverArts Music Tour tabs for complete recording links, programs, and notes).

In prior seasons, Mr. Murray presented the Masters Series and Sunrise Series Concerts in the New York area, over 100 solo recital programs in total, comprising multiple performances of the cycles of piano music of Chopin, Schumann, Debussy, Ravel and J.S. Bach, as well as Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas and Diabelli Variations and major works of Schubert, Brahms, Liszt, Albéniz (Iberia), Granados (Goyescas), Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Stravinsky. Mr. Murray also conceived and initiated Collectanea, the first in a series of multi-media "braiding" performances in collaboration with non-for-profit RiverArts.org and other distinguished artists, combining art/poetry/dance-inspired classical piano masterpieces with simultaneous on-stage illuminated displays of still art, live modern dance and poetry readings; the initial program comprised Bach-Busoni's Chaconne, Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit, Liszt's Vallée d'Obermann, and Granados' Goyescas. His current solo piano initiatives are focused on the major works of Scriabin, Prokofiev, Scarlatti, Brahms and several American and Eastern European composers. (Visit the Solo Performances and related tabs for Mr. Murray's solo recital series programs, notes and composer biographical information.)

A career professional in finance and risk management, Mr. Murray is an executive at global insurance ratings and research firm AM Best, and was a long-term member of the Global Financial Institutions Group management team at leading credit ratings and research firm Moody’s Investors Service in New York, where he managed international client portfolios across the Americas, Bermuda, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions and had executive management responsibility for operations the Latin America region, prior to which he was a member of the corporate actuarial team at worldwide insurer American International Group. He resides in Westchester County, New York with his wife Amada, daughter Celia, and cavalier King Charles spaniel Lizzy, where they also own and operate a specialty bookstore, Galápagos Books. In addition to being founder and executive/artistic director of the Westchester Chamber Soloists, he is on the Board of Directors of the Fine Arts Orchestra Society, parent organization of the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra and its various related programs. Mr. Murray began his musical studies in the New York area with Frances Wazeter and Allen Weiss, and his long-time performance coach is Robert Preston, distinguished concert pianist, professional artistic photographer and chamber music collaborator with the very finest of his generation. Mr. Murray holds diplomas in concerto and chamber music performance from the International Musicians Academy in Europe and an academic degree in theoretical physics from Cornell University, where he also received a special University Award for distinguished piano soloist.

Studio Hollywood, based in the Rivertowns area of lower Westchester County, named for the street on which it's located, and just a 15-minute drive or short scenic train ride from Manhattan, is a modern multi-purpose performance, rehearsal and recording space. Set in idyllic natural surroundings with ample natural lighting, the studio features magnificent and carefully maintained vintage Steinway D (concert grand) rosewood and Steinway B flame-mahogany pianos, as well as 850 sq ft (37'x23') of sound-insulated and illuminated studio space with high ceilings, beautiful natural hardwood flooring and trim, and comfortable seating for up to 50 guests, or approximately 30 musicians.

The studio opens up to the surrounding stone-terraced gardens, fish pond and gazebo, and is wheelchair-accessibile from the street. Since inception in 2010, Studio Hollywood has hosted over 100 musical and multi-media events and is available on a privately-negotiated basis for use by visiting artists and performers. Additional detail on the studio facilities, including seating capacity and charts, is available here on The Studio tab.