Sally Pinkas

Sally Pinkas

“…Pinkas’… playing can turn from exquisite refinement to savage vehemence in a twinkling…. she plays as if every measure were a new revelation…(The Boston Globe).

Israeli-born Pianist Sally Pinkas follows an active performing career, encompassing a wide repertoire as well as a passion for chamber music and teaching.  She has presented recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall, Italy’s Villa Serbelloni (Bellagio) and Villa Aurelia (American Academy in Rome), for Israel Radio ‘Etnachta’ Series in Jerusalem, in Bulgaria, France and throughout the USA. Concerto work includes appearances with The Boston Pops, Aspen Philharmonia, Jupiter Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Dobrich Chamber Orchestra (Bulgaria). USA summer festival credits include Rockport, Music Mountain, Marlboro, Tanglewood and Aspen, and abroad Kfar Blum (Israel), Rocca di Mezzo (Italy) and Pontlevoy (France).

Pinkas’ repertoire ranges from the traditional to the contemporary, and includes many works written for her.  In 1996 she was awarded a Howard Fellowship by Brown University for a 2-CD recording of George Rochberg’s solo piano works, which was later released by Gasparo.  Other solo discography includes Debussy’s Twelve Etudes and Estampes (Centaur), Bread and Roses: Piano works by Christian Wolff (Mode), and Fauré’s Thirteen Nocturnes (Musica Omnia), which was named one of 2002’s best CD’s by Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe.  Upcoming releases include Piano Works by Schumann, and Thirteen Barcarolles by Fauré.

In chamber music collaborations with the Ciompi, Leontovych, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Biava and Lydian String Quartets, Pinkas has established herself as a compelling partner. Since 1992, the Hirsch-Pinkas Piano Duo (with her husband Evan Hirsch) has performed throughout the USA as well as in China, Nigeria, Russia, Israel, Italy, France and Bulgaria, accepting return engagements at many of the venues. The Duo has commissioned, premiered and recorded works by George Rochberg, Daniel Pinkham, Thomas Oboe Lee and Peter Child for the Gasparo, Arsis and Albany labels.  Other regular partners include flutist Fenwick Smith, with whom Pinkas has released a 3-cd set featuring the works of Gaubert (Naxos), and the Adaskin String Trio.

Trained in the USA, Pinkas holds performance degrees from Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music, and a Ph.D. in Composition and Theory from Brandeis University.  Her major teachers were Russell Sherman, George Sebok, Luise Vosgerchian and Genia Bar-Niv (Piano), Sergiu Natra (composition), and Robert Koff (Chamber music). Pianist-in-residence at the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College, she is also Professor of Music at Dartmouth’s Music Department, and an Artist-teacher at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.