Kyle Orth

So to that magnificent exploration of destruction and death: the "Totentanz." The young pianist Kyle Orth is a slight, almost fragile figure. He strode onto stage with a near exaggerated vigor, gave a little bow, sat at the piano and was ready. No exaggerated flourishes, no melodrama — a man and his music.

Can the spirit of a long-dead musician and composer be conjured by an artist more than a century later? Maybe. Maybe not. But in the sheer power and excitement of Orth's virtuosity we glimpsed what it must have been like to experience the Hungarian master. The opening chords were hammered in a frightening, towering manner, as if death — Liszt's recurrent obsession — was bashing down a door striding into the world of the living.

Orth's runs are flawless, his chord work lightning, his dynamic range remarkable, and yet it was in some of the quieter moments that he showed the growing maturity of his vision. Hints of Chopin fluttered out from the menacing forest of Liszt's darkness, and in one transcendent moment, Orth played two keys with an elegant simplicity of touch. Virtuosity must have its more gentle moments to be fully itself, and this pianist realizes this with a maturity beyond his years.

The standing ovation was deserved. We can only hope that Kyle Orth will grace our auditorium at least one more time before other, more famous stages come calling — as they inevitably will. - MyWestTexas.com

So to that magnificent exploration of destruction and death: the "Totentanz." The young pianist Kyle Orth is a slight, almost fragile figure. He strode onto stage with a near exaggerated vigor, gave a little bow, sat at the piano and was ready. No exaggerated flourishes, no melodrama — a man and his music.

Can the spirit of a long-dead musician and composer be conjured by an artist more than a century later? Maybe. Maybe not. But in the sheer power and excitement of Orth's virtuosity we glimpsed what it must have been like to experience the Hungarian master. The opening chords were hammered in a frightening, towering manner, as if death — Liszt's recurrent obsession — was bashing down a door striding into the world of the living.

Orth's runs are flawless, his chord work lightning, his dynamic range remarkable, and yet it was in some of the quieter moments that he showed the growing maturity of his vision. Hints of Chopin fluttered out from the menacing forest of Liszt's darkness, and in one transcendent moment, Orth played two keys with an elegant simplicity of touch. Virtuosity must have its more gentle moments to be fully itself, and this pianist realizes this with a maturity beyond his years.

The standing ovation was deserved. We can only hope that Kyle Orth will grace our auditorium at least one more time before other, more famous stages come calling — as they inevitably will. - MyWestTexas.com

Permian Basin classical music in 2012 started with a magnificent presentation from Kyle Orth, the winner of the previous year’s young musician competition. Orth....approached the piano and settled down to explore destruction and death through Liszt’s great “Totentanz.” The opening chords were hammered in a frightening, towering manner, as if Death was bashing down the door of the Wagner Noel and striding into the world of the living.

A superb performance from a pianist who will surely attain world stature.
- MyWestTexas.com

Permian Basin classical music in 2012 started with a magnificent presentation from Kyle Orth, the winner of the previous year’s young musician competition. Orth....approached the piano and settled down to explore destruction and death through Liszt’s great “Totentanz.” The opening chords were hammered in a frightening, towering manner, as if Death was bashing down the door of the Wagner Noel and striding into the world of the living.

A superb performance from a pianist who will surely attain world stature.
- MyWestTexas.com

As a classical pianist and composer, Kyle feels that music is one of the greatest methods of communication on the planet. It is established as a universal language. Take Beethoven, for example: his music is heard across the globe; yet the beauty of his works is understood by people regardless of the language they speak or the culture they embody.
Sharing music with others is Kyle’s passion. Though he enjoys his instrument immensely, he doesn’t just play for himself. He plays the piano to bless others. He wants his music to be an emotionally moving force that resounds with his audience.
When Kyle has finished performing a Haydn sonata, a Liszt etude, or a Prokofiev concerto, he wants people to walk away saying, “Isn’t classical music great?” If he can reach out to just one person through his performance, then the entire experience is worth it for him. What is music about, but inspiring lives and touching hearts?
Kyle’s desire is to capture the beauty of a composer’s work and communicate his intentions with his audience.
When people talk to him after one of his performances, telling him how it touched them, he realizes he has achieved his goal. Kyle has successfully expressed the message of the masters in a way that is meaningful to his listeners. When it comes to composition, he wants to create music that will sooth the spirit, encourage the downcast, and strengthen the strong.
When he writes a piece that brings tears to somebody’s eyes, or gives someone else tingles up and down his/her spine, he thinks this is what it’s all about. Music is not something that was meant to be hoarded and kept to oneself. Music is a gift that must be continually given away.
Hailed as a pianist of unusual virtuosity and artistic sensitivity, Kyle Orth is praised by audiences and critics alike. Having concertized across the United States, Israel, and Mexico, Kyle is widely recognized as a captivating and moving musician. The Fort Worth Star Telegram admiringly labeled him “a piano phenom” who delivers “spine tingling” performances.
Since Kyle’s orchestral debut at the age of fifteen, he has soloed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, and on several occasions with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, performing under the batons of Jaap van Zweden, Vahagn Papian, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Anshel Brusilow, Hector Guzman, and others.Kyle has also appeared with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, and the TCU Symphony Orchestra (as a winner of the school’s concerto competition).
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reviewed his Fort Worth Symphony debut: “Orth, a piano phenom from Richardson, channeled the virtuosity of Franz Liszt in his haunting fantasy Totentanz (“Dance of Death”).
Orth’s melodic piano solos were spine tingling! The audience rewarded him with a standing ovation and a curtain call, as if to say, rightly, that they took Teachers National Association (MTNA) Yamaha Senior Piano Competition. Other triumphs include First Prize at the Lennox International Young Artist’s Competition, First Prize at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition, and Grand Prize at the Midland-Odessa National Young Artist Competition.
He also received top prizes in the Kingsville International Young Performers Competitions and the Corpus Christi International Piano Competition.
In April of 2010, Kyle was invited to perform at the Meadows Museum on the campus of SMU, for a gala honoring Texas Governor Rick Perry. He has performed for music groups such as the Fine Arts Chamber Players, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, Pro Musica of Dallas, and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity.
In addition to attending the PianoTexas International Academy as a Young Artist, he participated in the Texas Conservatory for Young Artists and in the Tel Hai International Master Classes in Israel, where he won first place in their concerto competition.
Kyle Orth has been broadcasted on WRR radio, classical 101.1 in Dallas and was invited to perform on numerous occasions for the Van Cliburn Foundation’s Musical Awakenings® Program.
In June of 2010, Kyle gave a series of recitals in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he returned to continue his performances in December of 2010. Over the years, Kyle Orth has performed in master classes with many world-renowned piano artist/teachers, including Yoheved Kaplinsky, Julian Martin, Robert McDonald, Douglas Humphreys, Olga Kern, Vladimir Feltsman, Barry Snyder, and Robert Weirich. His own past teachers were Marcy McDonald, Alex McDonald, and Justin Proffitt.
Born in 1990 in Fountain Valley, California, Kyle began studying the piano at the age of 8. He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at Texas Christian University (TCU) as a student of John Owings. Attending the university with a full-tui - Dallas Talent Magazine

As a classical pianist and composer, Kyle feels that music is one of the greatest methods of communication on the planet. It is established as a universal language. Take Beethoven, for example: his music is heard across the globe; yet the beauty of his works is understood by people regardless of the language they speak or the culture they embody.
Sharing music with others is Kyle’s passion. Though he enjoys his instrument immensely, he doesn’t just play for himself. He plays the piano to bless others. He wants his music to be an emotionally moving force that resounds with his audience.
When Kyle has finished performing a Haydn sonata, a Liszt etude, or a Prokofiev concerto, he wants people to walk away saying, “Isn’t classical music great?” If he can reach out to just one person through his performance, then the entire experience is worth it for him. What is music about, but inspiring lives and touching hearts?
Kyle’s desire is to capture the beauty of a composer’s work and communicate his intentions with his audience.
When people talk to him after one of his performances, telling him how it touched them, he realizes he has achieved his goal. Kyle has successfully expressed the message of the masters in a way that is meaningful to his listeners. When it comes to composition, he wants to create music that will sooth the spirit, encourage the downcast, and strengthen the strong.
When he writes a piece that brings tears to somebody’s eyes, or gives someone else tingles up and down his/her spine, he thinks this is what it’s all about. Music is not something that was meant to be hoarded and kept to oneself. Music is a gift that must be continually given away.
Hailed as a pianist of unusual virtuosity and artistic sensitivity, Kyle Orth is praised by audiences and critics alike. Having concertized across the United States, Israel, and Mexico, Kyle is widely recognized as a captivating and moving musician. The Fort Worth Star Telegram admiringly labeled him “a piano phenom” who delivers “spine tingling” performances.
Since Kyle’s orchestral debut at the age of fifteen, he has soloed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, and on several occasions with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, performing under the batons of Jaap van Zweden, Vahagn Papian, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Anshel Brusilow, Hector Guzman, and others.Kyle has also appeared with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, and the TCU Symphony Orchestra (as a winner of the school’s concerto competition).
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reviewed his Fort Worth Symphony debut: “Orth, a piano phenom from Richardson, channeled the virtuosity of Franz Liszt in his haunting fantasy Totentanz (“Dance of Death”).
Orth’s melodic piano solos were spine tingling! The audience rewarded him with a standing ovation and a curtain call, as if to say, rightly, that they took Teachers National Association (MTNA) Yamaha Senior Piano Competition. Other triumphs include First Prize at the Lennox International Young Artist’s Competition, First Prize at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition, and Grand Prize at the Midland-Odessa National Young Artist Competition.
He also received top prizes in the Kingsville International Young Performers Competitions and the Corpus Christi International Piano Competition.
In April of 2010, Kyle was invited to perform at the Meadows Museum on the campus of SMU, for a gala honoring Texas Governor Rick Perry. He has performed for music groups such as the Fine Arts Chamber Players, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, Pro Musica of Dallas, and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity.
In addition to attending the PianoTexas International Academy as a Young Artist, he participated in the Texas Conservatory for Young Artists and in the Tel Hai International Master Classes in Israel, where he won first place in their concerto competition.
Kyle Orth has been broadcasted on WRR radio, classical 101.1 in Dallas and was invited to perform on numerous occasions for the Van Cliburn Foundation’s Musical Awakenings® Program.
In June of 2010, Kyle gave a series of recitals in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he returned to continue his performances in December of 2010. Over the years, Kyle Orth has performed in master classes with many world-renowned piano artist/teachers, including Yoheved Kaplinsky, Julian Martin, Robert McDonald, Douglas Humphreys, Olga Kern, Vladimir Feltsman, Barry Snyder, and Robert Weirich. His own past teachers were Marcy McDonald, Alex McDonald, and Justin Proffitt.
Born in 1990 in Fountain Valley, California, Kyle began studying the piano at the age of 8. He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at Texas Christian University (TCU) as a student of John Owings. Attending the university with a full-tui - Dallas Talent Magazine