Marcus Roberts
Marcus Roberts, hailed as the “the genius of the modern piano,” taught himself to play piano at age five after losing his sight, and stated taking lessons at 12. At 18, he went on to study classical piano at Florida State University. Roberts has won numerous competitions and awards, including a Grammy nomination and AFB’s Helen Keller Achievement Award in 1998. Roberts’ critically acclaimed legacy of recorded music reflects this tremendous artistic versatility. In addition to his renown as a performer, Roberts is also an accomplished composer who has received numerous commissioning awards, including those from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, ASCAP, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Savannah Music Festival. Roberts is an associate professor of music at the School of Music at Florida State University and is currently serving as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music at Bard College. He holds an honorary Doctor of Music degree from The Juilliard School.