Acclaimed young American pianist is a sought-after soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He has been praised for his commanding and poetic performances of repertoire ranging from Bach to Zaimont, and is the recipient of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, 2017 American Pianists Awards, and the Christel DeHaan Fellow of the American Pianists Association.
With the resumption of live concerts, his 21/22 season includes engagements with orchestras in Buffalo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Delaware, Indianapolis, and Santa Fe, and recitals in San Francisco, Madison, and Sanibel, FL. Recent highlights have included debuts with the Sarasota, Houston, Phoenix, Pacific, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Waco, and Allentown Symphonies, as well as his recital debuts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. Petersen has also appeared in solo recital at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Dame Myra Hess Concerts in Chicago, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Brevard Music Center’s Summer Festival and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 2018 marked the release of his first solo recording of music by Barber, Carter, and other American composers on the Steinway & Sons label for which BBC Music Magazine acknowledged his presence as a rising star.
A frequent radio contributor, Petersen has performed on McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase, From the Top, and Performance Today. Profiles include The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the documentary “just normal” by award-winning director Kim A. Snyder. A champion of chamber music, Petersen has appeared on French radio’s France Musique while a member of a Verbier Festival piano trio.
Drew Petersen’s firm belief in the importance of music in contemporary society led to collaborations with Young Audiences NY that presents performances in New York City’s public schools. His appearance in Andrew Solomon’s New York Times bestselling book, Far From the Tree, sparked a nation-wide conversation on raising extraordinary and different children who test the willpower and capabilities of their families and society. Petersen continually advocates for the necessity of classical music and other arts, and was named a 2006 Davidson Fellow for his portfolio entitled Keeping Classical Music Alive.
