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Remembering André Watts (1946-2023)
Posted July 31, 2023
Remembering André Watts (1946-2023)
The Leonard Bernstein Office and Family join in mourning the death of renowned pianist André Watts.
The Leonard Bernstein Office and Family join in mourning the death of renowned pianist André Watts.
Watts's promise as a young musician led to him performing Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1, at the age of sixteen, with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic for a televised Young People's Concerts episode. Before the concert, Bernstein introduced Watts to the national television audience, stating that he "flipped" when he first heard Watts play. Soon after, Bernstein brought in Watts as a substitute for an ill Glenn Gould on a series of subscription concerts featuring the Lizst, which Watts then recorded. Watts, Bernstein, and the Phil also recorded Brahms's Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky's Concerto No. 1.
Jamie Bernstein recalled: "Alexander and I were old enough to remember André Watts's Young People's Concerts debut, as well as the vibe our dad communicated on that national broadcast. Something unusual and thrilling was about to happen. We know Watts's path was full of maddening obstacles, as is likely to happen to just about any person of color in this country. But we're so glad that he was truly embraced and acknowledged by the world he worked and played in. He raised us all. As we Jewish folks say, may his memory be a blessing."
Enjoy this video excerpt, in which André Watts recalls what he learned from working with Leonard Bernstein in his teens.