Reina Sofía School of Music Announces Appointment of Kenny Broberg as Deputy Professor to Piano Chair Stanislav Ioudenitch starting in the 2022-2023 academic year
Reina Sofía School of Music Announces Appointment of Kenny Broberg as Deputy Professor to Piano Chair Stanislav Ioudenitch starting in the 2022-2023 academic year
Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, Spain announces the appointment of 2021 American Pianists Awards winner Kenny Broberg as Deputy Professor of the Fundación Banco Santander Piano Chair led by Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch, starting in the 2022-2023 academic year.
Broberg will continue to perform around the world while teaching a small cohort of students who earn admission to one of the most demanding music schools in Europe.
“I’m excited to join the faculty of the Reina Sofía School of Music as Deputy Professor in the piano department,” said Broberg. “This appointment will allow me the opportunity to grow as an educator while still allowing me the flexibility to continue performing around the world.”
ABOUT KENNY BROBERG:
During his auspicious career before winning the 2021 American Pianists Awards and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship, Kenny Broberg captured the silver medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a bronze medal at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition. He also earned prizes at the Hastings, Sydney, Seattle and New Orleans International Piano Competitions, becoming one of the most decorated and internationally renowned pianists of his generation. Broberg is lauded for his inventive, intelligent and intense performances.
Crediting his first exposure to classical music to his Italian grandfather’s love of the Three Tenors, Broberg began piano lessons on his family’s upright piano at age 6. During his childhood in Minneapolis, he began studying piano with Dr. Joseph Zins at Crocus Hill Studios in Saint Paul. Throughout high school, he balanced his musical lessons with playing baseball and hockey. He remains an avid fan of both the Minnesota Twins and Wild and checks their scores while on breaks during his practice.
Broberg earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2016 at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, studying under Nancy Weems. Broberg then studied at Park University in Parkville, Missouri, under Ioudenitch, the gold medalist at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Performing on stages and in concert halls across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, Broberg has worked with some of the world’s most respected conductors, including Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Leonard Slatkin, Vasily Petrenko, Nicholas Milton, John Storgårds, Carlos Miguel Prieto and Stilian Kirov. He has collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic and the Minnesota, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Sydney, Seattle and Fort Worth Symphonies, among others. He has been featured on WQXR, Performance Today, Minnesota Public Radio and ABC (Australia) radio. He presented his original composition, “Barcarolle,” on NPR in March 2021.
As part of the American Pianists Awards, he recently recorded his first studio album with the Steinway & Sons label, which will be released later this year.
The Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship from the American Pianists Awards also granted Broberg a prize valued over $200,000, designed to assist with building his musical career. It includes $50,000 in cash, two years of professional development and assistance and performance opportunities worldwide. Broberg will also work with students and host performances during his time on campus as the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis.
ABOUT AMERICAN PIANISTS ASSOCIATION:
The American Pianists Association (APA) has been supporting aspiring young American pianists for over 40 years. Founded in New York City as the Beethoven Foundation in 1979 by Victor Borge, a Danish-American pianist and comedian, Tony Habig of Kimball International, and Julius Bloom, former Executive Director of Carnegie Hall, the organization moved to Indianapolis in 1982 and changed its name to the American Pianists Association seven years later.
The American Pianists Awards alternate between classical and jazz piano every two years and offer significant opportunities for American pianists ages 18–30 to advance their careers. Each winner receives career support valued at over $200,000, which is tailored to the particular needs of the winner and includes a cash award, performance engagements, publicity and recording opportunities. APA strives to provide the bridge between academic training and a full-fledged professional career, focusing on individual sensibilities of each pianist to help them develop as artists. It is the intent of the American Pianists Awards to focus on artistic growth rather than competitive prowess. As such, the organization does not impose repertoire requirements during its classical and jazz competitions other than those necessary for the different genres. For more information on the American Pianists Association, please visit www.americanpianists.org/.
ABOUT REINA SOFÍA SCHOOL OF MUSIC:
The Reina Sofía School of Music was created in 1991 as a project to help both young people and musical culture. Since then, the School has worked to advance on two objectives: to support highly talented young people in their personal and artistic development, and to bring the best music to all audiences.
The transformational capacity of music gives social impact to these two objectives. Music removes barriers and treats everyone equally, regardless of language, tradition or culture. The practice of music unites through values such as commitment, perseverance, leadership and collaboration, which are essential for life and coexistence.
The greater the creativity and quality with which music is composed and interpreted, the stronger its emotional effect will be on the listener, and as such its beneficial impact on society will also be greater. Because of this, the Reina Sofía School has stubbornly maintained these educational principles from the first day as a way of ensuring maximum development of its students and the largest impact on society.
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