Richard Goode

One of the most respected recitalists of the day, Richard Goode only turned to solo and concerto performances late in life. He had made a reputation for himself as an eminent chamber musician, frequently participating at the Spoleto Festival and as a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. At only ten years old, Goode had an arranged audition with Rudolf Serkin, who was impressed and recommended him to Claude Frank. Subsequently Goode would study with Nadia Reisenberg, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, and Serkin himself.

Goode's repertoire is anchored in the middle-European classics, and he has made a specialty of the long-neglected piano sonatas of Franz Schubert. His early '80s recordings of the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven brought his insightful artistry to a wider public. He has not eschewed modern music, though his tastes run toward a more conservative style of modernism, such as the works of George Perle.

A concern for the inner essence of music and its architectural balance has made him into an introspective artist; the self-effacement that so often goes with this introspection (plus a dollop of chronic stage fright) kept Goode from seeking out the solo concert spotlight for many years. It was only after the encouragement of respected friends and colleagues (Leonard Bernstein among them) that he left the relative security of playing chamber music and took the decisive step toward a solo career. Goode was 47 years old when he made his acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut. 

Goode has been a Steinway Artist since 1967.