Artistic Director
Dr. Robert Henry
“Robert Henry’s lyricism hits the mark. Cogent shaping, dynamism, and power…inner voices decisively sing and project in his Chopin…bass lines reinforce this music’s often ignored backbone…rapturous and texturally refined playing…absolutely enchanting.” Gramophone Magazine
Robert Henry, hailed as a “consummate artist – brilliant, formidable, effortless, and the epitome of control and poise,” is an internationally distinguished musician, winning universal acclaim as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, accompanist, chamber musician, and choral director.
In 1997, Dr. Henry began his relationship with Grammy award-winning. The Atlanta Boy Choir, serving as Assistant Director and Accompanist to founding director, Maestro Fletcher Wolfe In 2019, Dr. Henry was appointed Artistic Director of The Atlanta Boy Choir.
Career highlights include 2002 solo debut recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Wigmore Hall, with critics praising his “flawless technique, smooth and limpid phrasing, exciting programming.” He has presented concert tours of the U.S., England, Nova Scotia, Russia, Italy, Czech-Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, and Poland. He has appeared with such notable conductors as Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles, Michael Palmer, and Stefan Sanderling. He has presented recitals with the Pacifica Quartet, cellist Zuill Bailey, soprano Mary Ann Hart, and tenor Sergio Blasquez. In response to Hurricane Katrina, he coordinated and performed in the 2006 “Pianists for New Orleans” tour of the United States, raising more than $100,000 for the city.
Early in his career, Dr. Henry enjoyed phenomenal success, ultimately winning the Gold Medal in four International Piano Competitions. On three occasions, juries have spontaneously created special prizes to honor his performances, including “Best Performance of a 20th-Century Work” and “Best Performance of a Commissioned Work.”
In 2010, Dr. Henry released his debut recording, Twelve Nocturnes and a Waltz. The album is a collection of some of the world’s best-loved melodies, including the world premiere of Alexei Stanchinsky’s forgotten Nocturne from 1907. Dr. Henry was also winner of two 2010 Telly Awards for the documentary about his recording experience. He is regularly heard on NPR’s Performance Today and The Atlanta Music Scene.
Dr. Henry produced the world premiere recording of Brahms’ recently discovered “Albumblatt,” available now on iTunes as a single. This track is included in the album, As the Songbird Sings: Music of Schubert and Brahms, released in 2016. Dr. Henry was joined by violinist Helen Kim in a world premiere recording of Romance and Dance by Chen Yi for Centaur Records. Also, Dr. Henry arranged and performed Faure’s “Pie Jesu” for the Atlanta Boy Choir for the film, Captain America: Civil War. (2016). In 2022, he released a music video with The Atlanta Boy Choir, entitled America, the Beautiful: One Nation (2022). Most recently, Dr. released a live recording of Scarlatti, Schubert, and Rachmaninoff (2024) under the ACA Digital label.
Alongside his contributions as pianist and educator, Dr. Henry’s multifaceted career includes much choral and vocal work, as well as many decades of service to the liturgical arts. He attended the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts and eventually double-majored in piano and voice at Kennesaw State University. Since then, he has performed with numerous choirs around the world, both as director and accompanist. In addition to his work with The Atlanta Boy Choir, he regularly sings with The Meridian Herald, an Atlanta-based choral ensemble. He has nearly twenty years of experience as organist/choirmaster in the Episcopal Church, and he currently serves as Director of Music at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in North GA.
Dr. Henry earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland, with additional studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Glinka Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. As an educator and pedagogue, Dr. Henry presents lectures, masterclasses, residencies, and youth concerts at universities and conservatories around the world, and he has been featured in American Music Teacher, Gramophone, and Clavier Magazine. He has served as recitalist, clinician, and juror for state, regional, and national MTNA conventions and competitions. He proudly serves as a tenured professor of Music and Coordinator of the Piano Area at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. He is a founding member of the Summit Piano Trio. In 2023, Dr. Henry joined the faculty of the Adamant Music School, a summer music festival in Vermont. An International Steinway Artist, he maintains his web-presence at www.roberthenry.org
Dr. Henry is represented by Parker Artists, New York.
