Kevin Cole

“America’s Pianist” Kevin Cole has delighted audiences with a repertoire that includes the best of 20th Century American Music. Kevin Cole’s performances, especially his interpretation of Gershwin, have prompted accolades from some of the foremost critics in America. “When Cole sits down at the piano, you would swear Gershwin himself was at work… Cole stands as the best Gershwin pianist in America today,” wrote Howard Reich, arts critic for the Chicago Tribune. Critic Andrew Patner wrote: "A piano genius...he reveals an understanding of harmony, rhythmic complexity and pure show-biz virtuosity that would have had Vladimir Horowitz smiling with envy."

Kevin recently performed with the Nashville Symphony, Gershwin At One Symphony Place, which aired on PBS nationwide March 2009.

Other engagements for Cole include: sold-out performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl; the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall; the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center; the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London); the Boston Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony (Canada) and many others. He has shared the concert stage with notables from opera greats William Warfield and Sylvia McNair to Broadway legends Barbara Cook and Marvin Hamlisch.

Kevin Cole is an award-winning musical director, arranger, composer, vocalist and archivist who garnered the praises of Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, Hugh Martin, Burton Lane, Stephen Sondheim and members of the Jerome Kern and Gershwin families.

He has worked as vocal arranger/accompanist for opera and musical theatre performers Sylvia McNair, Dawn Upshaw, Brian D’Arcy James, Karen Morrow, Christine Andreas, Hollis Resnik, Kim Criswell and William Warfield.

Kevin has given Master Classes in musical theatre vocal performance at Interlochen Center for the Arts and North Carolina School of the Arts. He has served as Musical Director for Pasadena Playhouse, Michigan Ensemble Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and Royal George Theatre (Chicago). Kevin currently works with songwriting legend Hugh Martin. Mr. Martin was vocal coach to Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Judy Garland and many others.

His discography includes Gramophone Musical Album of the Year, 1995, Gershwin's Oh, Kay! with soprano Dawn Upshaw (Elektra/Nonesuch), his critically acclaimed solo piano disc, Cole Plays Gershwin and his recently released vocal debut album In The Words Of Ira-

www.KevinColeOnLine.com