Ran Dank

Biography

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Technically dazzling and intellectually probing artistry exemplify  Ran Dank‘s pianism and musicality—captivating audiences and critics alike.

Israeli-American pianist Ran Dank is one of today’s most ardent advocates for contemporary music. In recent seasons, he has performed Kevin Puts’ piano concerto “Night,” the Tobias Picker concerto, “Keys to the City,” Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated,” William Bolcom’s Pulitzer-winning set of “Twelve New Etudes”. Alongside his wife, pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, Ran debuted the world premieres of Frederic Rzewski’s “Four Hands,” and Alexander Goehr’s “Seven Impromptus.”

Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee have also created a concert series called Music by the Glass, which is held in a New York SoHo art gallery. During these performances, an audience of young professionals listen, mix and mingle with fellow solo and chamber work artists while enjoying treats and wines by the glass.

Ran Dank is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Naumburg Piano Competition and the Sydney International Piano Competition. He was also the First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Ran’s recent performances have included performances with the Pasadena Symphony and Keitaro Harada in April 2022 and the Westchester Philharmonic and Jayce Ogren in October 2022. Ran has upcoming performances with the Monterey Symphony in February 2023, Chautauqua in August 2023, and he is returning to Pro Music San Miguel de Allenda in March of 2024.  He is Associate Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music.

Technically dazzling and intellectually probing artistry exemplify  Ran Dank‘s pianism and musicality—captivating audiences and critics alike.

Israeli-American pianist Ran Dank is one of today’s most ardent advocates for contemporary music. Recent seasons have included performances with the Pasadena Symphony and Keitaro Harada in April 2022 and the Westchester Philharmonic and Jayce Ogren in October 2022. Ran has upcoming performances with the Monterey Symphony in February 2023, Chautauqua in August 2023, and he is returning to Pro Music San Miguel de Allenda in March of 2024.

Ran’s past performances have included recitals at the San Francisco Performances Series, Gilmore, Ravinia, Carnegie Hall’s Zankel and Weill Halls, Steinway Hall, Gardner Museum, Kennedy Center, Town Hall, Yale School of Music, Philips Collection, Morgan Library, Pro Musica in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Portland Ovations, and have garnered critical acclaim from the New York Times and The Washington Post. Mr. Dank has performed as a soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Sydney, St. Luke’s, Portland, Eugene, Toledo, Hawaii, Kansas City, Vermont, Charleston, Jerusalem, Valencia, Phoenix, Hilton Head, among others, working under the batons such as Michael Stern, Jahja Ling, Michael Christie, Kirill Karabits, Jun Märkl, Pinchas Zukerman, Jorge Mester, Jaime Laredo, and Ken-David Masur. His chamber music festival appearances have included Santa Fe, Seattle, Chanel in Tokyo, Great Lakes, Bridgehampton, Cooperstown, Mänttä, Bowdoin, Maverick, Skaneateles, and Montreal, and he has collaborated with luminaries of the field such as Paul Watkins, Augustin Hadelich, Eugene Drucker, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, James Ehnes, and The Orion, Shanghai, Takács, and Dover String Quartets. Mr. Dank’s recent performance of the monumental set of variations “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” at the University of Chicago has been selected as one of the top ten performances of 2017 by the Chicago Classical Review.

Mr. Dank is an ardent advocate for contemporary music, and has performed in recent seasons Kevin Puts’ piano concerto “Night,” the Tobias Picker concerto, “Keys to the City,” Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated,” William Bolcom’s Pulitzer-winning set of “Twelve New Etudes,” and has given, alongside pianist and wife, Soyeon Kate Lee, the world premieres of Frederic Rzewski’s “Four Hands,” and Alexander Goehr’s “Seven Impromptus.” This season Mr. Dank and Soyeon Kate lee will feature the world premiere of multiple grammy-nominated pianist and composer’s Marc-André Hamelin’s “Tango” for piano four-hands.

With Soyeon Kate Lee (Dank Duo), he performed the world premiere of Alexander Goehr’s Seven Impromptus for two pianos at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and among the many duo recitals they have given include Portland Ovations, the JCC of Rockville, Bargemusic, Ames Town and Gown Association in Iowa, the Hawaii Concert Association, and the world premiere of Fredric Rzewski’s “Four Hands” at (le) Poisson Rouge.

The recipient of numerous honors, Ran Dank won a coveted place on the Young Concert Artists roster in 2009 and subsequently made his New York recital debut sponsored by YCA and the Jerome L. Greene Foundation at Merkin Hall (December 14, 2009). He was a laureate of the Cleveland International Competition, the Naumburg Piano Competition and the Sydney International Piano Competition, and First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Ran Dank is the co-artistic director and founder of Music by the Glass, a concert series held in a New York SoHo art gallery, dedicated to bringing together young professionals in NYC.

Mr. Dank has received his Bachelors of Music the from Tel-Aviv University, his Masters of Music and Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School, and his Doctorate of Music from the Graduate Center in CUNY. His teachers and mentors include Emanuel Ax, Joseph Kalichstein, Robert McDonald, Richard Goode, and Ursula Oppens. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including prizes in the Naumburg, Sydney, Cleveland, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competitions. He serves as Associate Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music and is on the faculty of the Bowdoin International Music Festival.

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