BIOGRAPHY

Anagnoson & Kinton are recognized today as one of the world’s finest piano duos. With over 1000 performances throughout the duo’s 40 plus years of concertizing, their astonishing appearances have been repeatedly met with great critical acclaim across North America, Europe, China, and Russia. In addition to traditional recitals, the duo has commissioned numerous compositions, expanding the boundaries of piano-duo idiom. Respected scholars and performers, Anagnoson & Kinton’s musicianship defines the art of true ensemble playing.

They first met as students at the Aspen Music Festival and in 1976, decided to include a two-piano recital in their season schedules. When they first sat together to rehearse the Brahms Sonata in F Minor, what was instantly apparent was an extraordinary musical chemistry, one so unusual that in the ensuing months the likes of Gina Bachauer and Eugene List heard them and, each recognizing that this pair had something quite exceptional, encouraged them to dedicate themselves to a career as a piano duo team.

Through commissioning numerous compositions and collaboration with other artistic genres, Anagnoson & Kinton has expanded the boundaries of piano-duo presentation. They have performed Stravinsky's Rite of Spring to the innovative choreography of John Alleyne alongside Ballet BC and premiered Into the Labyrinth - a multi-genre work by Ray Luedeke, featuring staging by Tom Diamond and narration by actor Colin Fox. As chamber musicians, Anagnoson & Kinton have performed Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion numerous times, and have collaborated with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Elora Festival Singers, Elmer Iseler Singers, and the Vancouver Cantata Singers. They are regular guest artists at the Festival of the Sound and the Elora Festival.

The duo has ten acclaimed recordings including a special release titled Stages, which celebrated their milestone 30th season. Their latest recording, on the Opening Day label was Piano Titans, featuring works by Clementi, Beethoven and Schubert.

James Anagnoson is Dean of The Glenn Gould School, where he is also on the piano faculty. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and received his Master’s Degree from The Juilliard School. Leslie Kinton is Professor of Piano at Western University and is also on faculty at The Glenn Gould School. Both his Master of Music and Ph.D. in music theory are from the University of Toronto. In 2019 the duo was named Honorary Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the Canadian classical music sector.

Anagnoson & Kinton are Yamaha Artists.

January 2023