Greg Mccallum Biography

Greg McCallum Biography

Pianist Greg McCallum has performed in the United States, Europe, and Latin America for diverse audiences ranging from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C to thousands of school children in the Southeastern United States. A versatile musician, McCallum plays a wide range of repertoire from Bach to Brubeck, and has been praised by critics for his “deeply felt, sensitive playing” (Die Main Post, Germany) and “consummate technical and artistic skill” (The Spectator, Raleigh, NC). His upcoming concerts include a performance on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, which will be broadcast nationally over WFMT radio and worldwide over the Internet, and a performance at the famous St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London.

More than just a pianist, McCallum is dedicated to creating new ways of reaching people with great music that can transform daily lives into works of art. His concerts include entertaining commentary, are based on themes that reflect his mission and reach out to a wider audience. Currently McCallum serves as Artistic Director for Piano Connections, Inc., a North Carolina-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting piano music within communities. For Piano Connections’ millennium project, “North Carolina Piano-To-Go: 88 Keys Across 100 Counties,” McCallum is performing residencies with his Yamaha C7 piano in North Carolina counties to celebrate both the 300th anniversary of the invention of the piano and the role this instrument has played in bringing communities together.

Although he primarily appears as a soloist, McCallum has also worked as a collaborative artist with such distinguished musicians as international flutists Wissam Boustany of London, Alexa Still of New Zealand, and violinist Eric Pritchard of the Ciompi Quartet. He has even performed programs that cross over from classical to more traditional music genres with such artists as famed American folk singer Mike Seeger, United Voices of Praise Gospel Choir and best-selling author Lee Smith. North Carolina critics praise the diversity and scope of McCallum's work, and hail him as "one of our region's most innovative performers." (The Spectator, Raleigh, NC)

McCallum received music degrees from the University of Maryland at College Park, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg, Germany. He has won prizes and honors in piano competitions including the National Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition, the Elizabeth R. Davis Memorial Piano Competition and the Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition. Upon winning the Hofer Sinfoniker Concerto Competition, McCallum made his orchestral debut in Hof and Würzburg, Germany. He has also won awards in competitions for chamber music and accompanying, such as the Jessie Kneisal German Lied Competition at the Eastman School of Music. His teachers have included Nelita True and Maria Curcio Diamand.

McCallum released his first compact disc recording, Excursions, in 1996. This recording was praised as being "simply terrific" by The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), and was selected by The Spectator Magazine (Raleigh, NC) as one of The Spectator's 10 Best of '96 for Classical Albums. His second CD, Reflections, was released in September 2001. Currently, he is listed in the North Carolina Arts Council Touring Artist Directory and the South Carolina Arts Commission Roster of Artists. In addition to his busy concert schedule, McCallum is dedicated to using music for the benefit of humanitarian causes. He performs benefit concerts for Habitat for Humanity, which provides affordable housing for the needy. His “Beethoven and Friends for the Homeless” concert series has raised over $20,000 for the Inter-Faith Council of Chapel Hill, NC.