PERFORMER
Pianist Adam Nielsen enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, collaborator, répétiteur and coach. His performances have been praised as “deftly and sensitively played” (New York Times), “an emotional account of the score” (Musical America), and “tapping into the emotional core of his audience” (Times Picayune, New Orleans).
"GLEEFULLY TRANSGRESSIVE"
“It felt almost transgressive, gleefully so, to hear this and another Bach aria performed in such an old-school way, Nielsen setting about the piano part as if it were a Rachmaninov prelude”
SCHEDULE
Mr. Nielsen performs this season with recital partners Davóne Tines and Ryan Speedo Green.
"LIQUIFYING."
The meaty portions of the recital filled in the spaces between this light liturgical frame... Thoughtfully toggling back and forth between Baroque and contemporary music, pianist Adam Nielsen aided these shifts expertly, liquifying the Bach slightly here, emphasizing articulation in a gospel accompaniment there... All evening the music was lovely. A beautiful recital. Here the music was its own force, pinning me to my seat and engulfing me.
WATCH + LISTEN
Pianist Adam Nielsen enjoys a diverse career as a collaborative pianist,repetiteur,coach, and artistic administrator. His performances have been praised as “deftly and sensitively played” (New York Times), “an emotional account of the score” (Musical America), and “tapping into the emotional core of his audience” (Times Picayune, New Orleans).
Adam's 2023 summer season began with a production of Wagner's "Der fliegende Holländer" at the Metropolitan Opera. Following this, he headed to the Académie d'Festival Aix-en-Provence, where he was recently appointed as head coach. Upcoming projects include the new production of Daniel Catan's "Florencia en el Amazonas" at the Metropolitan Opera, and recitals with bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green.
This past concert season, Adam was heard in recital with bass-baritone Davone Tines at Carnegie Hall and Baltimore’s Shriver Concert Series. Their collaboration has also taken them to the stages of the Barbican, Stanford Live, Ravinia, and The Kennedy Center, among other venues. Last season also included engagements with bass-baritone, Ryan Speedo Green, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, and baritone Steven LaBrie, all singers with whom he has cultivated treasured performing relationships throughout the span of his career. Last spring, Adam made his debut as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Other notable engagements from recent seasons include performances at The Frick, The Met Museum, The Guggenheim, St. Louis Celebrity Series, Alice Tully Hall, Aspen Festival, Chicago’s Myra Hess Series, The Heifetz Institute, and the Vilar Center in Beaver Creek, CO. He has appeared in concert with the St. Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony, Stony Brook Symphony, the Fry Street Quartet, A Far Cry,Windscape, and in recital with Erin Morley, Joshua Hopkins, Liv Redpath, Jakub Orlinski, and Ying Fang, among others.
Adam joined the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera in 2018 and serves there as répétiteur and assistant conductor. He was previously on the music staff at Opera Theater of St. Louis. He has been guest music staff with Washington National Opera, Harvard’s American Repertory Theater, Aspen Opera Theater, Virginia Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Richard Tucker Foundation, The Dallas Opera, Teatro Nuovo, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Adam also enjoys a career as a recording artist for film and television. His playing can be heard in “The Upside” (STX/Lantern Entertainment), “The Chaperone” (PBS), “The French Dispatch” (Wes Anderson), “The Staircase” (Netflix), “Marvelous Miss Maisel” (Amazon Prime), “The Unforgiveable” (Netflix), and a new Martin Scorsese film, still untitled.
Adam earned each of his degrees in Piano Performance, including a B.M from Utah State University, M.M. from the Juilliard School, and a D.M.A from Stony Brook University. Born in Arco, Idaho, he was raised primarily in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has called New York City home since 2005.
Photos by Jiyang Chen