About the Artist

French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie is an artist of “brilliance and authority” (The New York Times) who has “the fingers of a keyboard wizard, the poetic bent of one born to play music of the Romantics and a strong personality” (Los Angeles Times).

“As Mr. Lortie blazed up the keyboard in thundering double octaves, the man in front of me simply shook his head in disbelief. A few minutes later, a huge granitic chord brought the program to a close and the audience to its feet” (The New York Times).

Gramophone admires the “sincerity and naturalness” of his Fauré performances, “infused with the utmost sensitivity and a wide colouristic palette…Lortie injects each episode of the Ballade with youthful exuberance and lust for life.”

His “superb Liszt playing” is “staggering… Lortie played like one possessed, as the audience gawped, gasped, and called for more” (The Guardian).

Concert Program

FAURÉ Ballade, Op. 19
DEBUSSY Ballade slave, L. 70
BRAHMS Four Ballades, Op. 10
LISZT Ballade d’Ukraine, from Glanes de Woronince S. 249
LISZT Ballade No. 1 in D-flat major, S. 170, “Le chant du croisé”
LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S. 171

Concert Sponsors

Spivey Hall Friends Concert Sponsors:

William Muckley & Lynne Wood

Spivey Hall gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our 2021-2022 Season Sponsors:

Audience Building Roundtable,
through The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Barney M. Franklin & Hugh W. Burke Charitable Fund,
through The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Richard C. Owens Charitable Foundation

Patron Information

This concert welcomes patrons ages 12 and up.

This concert will be presented with a 40% capacity restriction.