André Watts was a Hall of Fame, award-winning pianist known for performing with orchestras across the world since the age of 16, including more than 100 shows with the New York Philharmonic.
- Died: July 12, 2023 (Who else died on July 12?)
- Details of death: Died of cancer at the age of 77.
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André Watts’ legacy
Watts was one of the most accomplished pianists of his day, enjoying a career that spanned more than six decades, with countless performances with the greatest orchestras in the world and nearly 20 years at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Born in Nuremberg, Germany, he was a prodigy from an early age. After moving to the United States, he began playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 9 and made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at just 16.
Watts impressed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), who asked him to fill in for pianist Glenn Gould (1932–1982). The resulting performance launched him into stardom in orchestral music and shows across the world. By the age of 20, he was fully booked three years in advance, doing 150 shows a year and making him the first internationally famous Black pianist in the world.
Watts made numerous television appearances over the years, even appearing on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” At 26, he became the youngest person ever to receive an honorary doctorate from Yale. He appeared on dozens of albums and was recognized with a plethora of awards, including a Grammy win in 1964, an Emmy nomination in 1995, and the George Peabody Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Music in America in 1990. Among his many honors, Watts received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2011, and in 2014 he was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
Tributes to André Watts
Full obituary: Indiana University Bloomington
