Boris Berman named the Marx Class of 1954 Professor

Boris Berman, newly appointed as the Sylvia and Leonard Marx Class of 1954 Professor in the Practice of Piano, is a renowned pianist who has performed in more than 50 countries on six continents.

Berman regularly appears with leading orchestras, on major recital series, and in prestigious festivals. He is an active recording artist and a Grammy Award nominee. Considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sergei Prokofiev, he was the first pianist to record the complete solo piano works of the composer and is the author of the 2008 book “Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer.”

Born in Moscow, Berman studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the renowned pianist Lev Oborin and graduated with distinction as both pianist and harpsichordist. He performed extensively throughout the Soviet Union as a recitalist and appeared as guest soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Moscow Philharmonic and the Moscow Chamber orchestras.

Berman has served on the faculties of Indiana University-Bloomington, Boston University, Brandeis University, and Tel-Aviv University. In 1984, he joined the Yale School of Music, where he is coordinator of the piano department and music director of the Horowitz Piano Series. He was the founding director of the Yale Summer Piano Institute and of the International Summer Piano Institute in Hong Kong. He also gives master classes throughout the world and is a frequent juror of international competitions. He was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, of the Danish Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, and of the China Conservatory in Beijing. 

Berman is the author of “Notes from the Pianist’s Bench,” in which he draws on his own experience to explore piano technique and music interpretation. He is the editor of the new critical edition of “Piano Sonatas by Prokofiev.”