Kevin Robert Orr

"Within four bars, I recognize that a formidable, seasoned artist is at work...”—Gramophone

“First-rate playing, expressive and assured." —American Record Guide

“Exciting, personal, always meaningful…” —Nordbayerischer Kurier (Germany)

"Dignity and a sense of scale...a developing sense of narrative..." —Piano Professional (UK)

“…radiates the character of a reference recording…” —Piano News (Germany)

Concert pianist Kevin Robert Orr fulfills a broad agenda as performer, masterclass clinician, lecturer and adjudicator that has taken him to major music institutions across the North America, Europe, China, South Korea and Australia.

A University of Florida Research Foundation Professor, Orr's live performances and CD recordings have earned critical acclaim across the globe. His recordings, which include the complete piano sonatas and ballades of Johannes Brahms, and the piano sonata and concerto of Samuel Barber, have been universally praised in the major music publications of North America and Europe. A strong advocate of new music, Orr has premiered and recorded solo and ensemble works by numerous living composers. His performances of both new and standard classical repertoire have been heard on Public Radio throughout the United States and on BBC London.

Orr founded The University of Florida International Piano Festival, an annual summer event assembling gifted young pianists with distinguished pedagogues from around the world. Additionally, Dr. Orr has taught at the Chinese International Piano Institute, Chengdu, China; the Val Tidone International Festival Summer Camp, Piacenza, Italy; and the Masterclasses Ars Haliaeti, Koper-Isola, Slovenia.

While focusing primarily upon the performance and teaching of classical music, Orr is also interested in improvisational musical styles. His course, “Improvisational Keyboard Skills,” exposes students to practical keyboard skills outside the classical realm.

Dr. Orr studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music at Case Western Reserve University, and at The Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University. He was the recipient of the William Kurzban Prize in Piano from the Cleveland Institute, and the Aurora Ragiani Martin Piano Award from The Dana School. His teachers have included Doris Arnold-Cunningham, Robert Elliot Hopkins, Melva Huebert, Caroline Oltmanns and Paul Schenly,. With graduate degrees in performance, Dr. Orr also holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education.


A Steinway Artist, Kevin Robert Orr records for Meyer Media, LLC.  He is Professor of Piano and Director of the School of Music at the University of Florida.