Consistently acclaimed for his exquisite tonal beauty and superb artistry, pianist Boris Slutsky returns to the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University as Distinguished Professor of Piano beginning in the fall 2024 semester. Since his orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony in 1980, Slutsky has appeared on nearly every continent as a soloist and recitalist. He has collaborated with eminent conductors and major orchestras including the London Philharmonic; Stuttgart State Orchestra; Bern Symphony Orchestra; Korea’s KBS Symphony Orchestra; the Baltimore, Florida, Utah, and Toronto Symphonies; and major orchestras in Norway, Italy, Spain, Russia, Colombia, Brazil, and South Africa. He has won first prizes in the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, the San Antonio International Keyboard Competition, and the William Kapell International Piano Competition, where he also received the Audience Prize and the William Backhaus Award. In addition he has also won major prizes at the Busoni, Pozzoli, Gina Bachauer, and Glenn Gould/Bach competitions. An avid chamber musician, Slutsky’s collaborations include the critically acclaimed Naxos recording of Schumann’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano with Ilya Kaler, as well as performances with many other renowned artists.
Slutsky has served as a jury member of many international piano competitions and presented master classes throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. He previously taught at the Peabody Conservatory from 1993 to 2021, and in 2007 was honored with the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award. He has also taught at the Bienen School of Music of Northwestern University and the Eastman School of Music, and is currently a Professor in the Practice of Piano at The Yale School of Music. His students have won prizes at numerous important international events.
In returning to the Peabody faculty, Slutsky joins a Piano Department with a long tradition of guiding and inspiring the finest young talent from the around the world and a commitment to their students’ development and wellbeing. Today’s diverse roster of renowned artist-faculty includes HieYon Choi, Richard Goode, Yong Hi Moon, Benjamin Pasternack, Ann Schein, Alexander Shtarkman, and Steven Spooner. The Peabody Conservatory’s teaching model and its unique Breakthrough Curriculum balance a deeply held dedication to excellence in classical arts training with an innovative focus on the contemporary needs of artists seeking to launch careers in today’s shifting performing arts landscape.