"As I am stimulated and challenged by diversity, leading a musical life through the vehicle of the piano has given me the opportunity to explore not only the solo piano repertoire, but also to engage, through ensemble playing, in the ever provocative experience of exchanging thoughts and feelings with fellow musicians."
Lambert Orkis
"Whether it's his presence, disposition, pianistic prowess or all three, Orkis has an uncanny ability to draw out the best in other artists."
The Washington Post
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| Golden Woodwind Quintet, Taipei |
Throughout his musical life, Lambert Orkis has involved himself in a variety of musical activities. Early in his career, he performed with soprano Eleanor Steber when she made her triumphant return to the concert stage. Orkis became familiar with songs from Scandanavia through his years of touring with Swedish tenor Rolf Björling. With coloratura soprano Mattiwilda Dobbs, he performed operatic arias and music of the African-American community throughout the heartland of America. With soprano Elsa Charlston, modern music was explored. For many years, he and soprano Lucy Shelton performed and recorded great art songs of the twentieth century devoting much time to modern works of the US, France, and Russia. Shortly before Arleen Augér's untimely passing, Orkis had the privilege of concertizing and recording songs of Schubert with her.
Chamber music is a regular part of Orkis' musical diet, as he has performed with prominent groups and musicians throughout his career. With the Emerson String Quartet he has played the great chamber works of Dvorák, Brahms, Franck, Fauré, Shostakovich. He has also joined violinist Philip Setzer, violist Lawrence Dutton, and cellist David Finckel in recital.
For several years, he was associated with the American Chamber Players, recording with them and participating in the Summer Music Festival at the Library of Congress in Washington as well as performing duos with the group's founder, violist Miles Hoffman.
Lambert Orkis played harpsichord and piano in the Philadelphia Chamber Soloists early in his career, and through that connection performed Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 with the Russian Emigré Orchestra in their debut appearance in Carnegie Hall.
For many summers, he was a regular performer at the California Music Center near San Francisco at the invitation of cellist and founder, Irving Klein.
While serving on the jury for the 1985 Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition for Pianists, Orkis made the acquaintence of fellow jurist, pianist Stephen Pruslin, and created with him a tour in
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| with Jaap Schroeder |
In the early 1970s, he participated in the Temple University Music Festival and Institute, performed with the Curtis String Quartet, principal players from the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Orchestras, and appeared as soloist in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Leon Fleisher, conducting.
Since the early days of his performing career, he has maintained a musical friendship with cellist Barbara Haffner, having played numerous concerts with her during their days as members of the Philadelphia Chamber Soloists, The Penn Contemporary Players of the University of Pennsylvania, and the 20th Century Consort in Washington. Orkis and Haffner were heard playing together in concerts in the US, France, and Spain and at sea on the Queen Elizabeth II. Most recently, they performed Beethoven's Triple Concerto with violinist David Perry and Symphony II of Chicago, Larry Rachleff, conducting.
Orkis enjoys working with the younger generation having performed in recent years with the brilliant cellist Marc Kosower. With the highly- awarded cellist Wendy Warner, he played a concert for the benefit of their alma mater, Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music from where he was graduated, having studied with Eleanor Sokoloff.
At Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music, where he studied with Maryan Filar, received a Master of Music degree, and where he is currently Professor of Piano, he has been a regular participant with fellow faculty members, guest artists, and students in the College's concert series.
Orkis also appears in the more traditional role of soloist in recital and with orchestra having concertized in the US, Europe and in Asia. As Honored Artist for the 16th New Aspect International Arts Festival held in Taipei, Taiwan, he was soloist and performed also with the brilliant and youthful Golden Woodwind Quintet in the National Concert Hall.
In April, 2000, Hanoi, Vietnam was witness to his artistry when he appeared as soloist and with violinist Julian Rachlin to a full house in a special concert which took place in the beautiful, historic Hanoi Opera House. This concert was shown live on a large screen outdoors in the adjoining plaza for the thousands of people present, and the concert was subsequently televised nationally. They have been invited back to Hanoi for a return engagement in 2002.
He has played as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Netherlands' Het Residentie Orkest of The Hague, Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, Symphony II of Chicago, and The National Symphony Orchestra of Washington and has performed with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Günther Herbig, John Mauceri, Leon Fleisher, Robert Kapilow, Fabio Mechetti, Kenneth Slowik, Barry Jekowsky, Randall Craig Fleischer, Christopher Kendall, William Smith, Vittorio Negri and Larry Rachleff.
An article written by Lambert Orkis and entitled "A Journey Back to Beethoven" was published in the July/August 1998 edition of Piano and Keyboard magazine. In this article, he recounts the story of his professional development as a musician in regards to his distinctive approach to the music of this great composer. A French translation of this article, entitled "Le voyage beethovénien", appeared in the October, 1998 edition of Le Monde de la Musique.
As adjudicator, he has served on the panel of judges for the Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards for composers and the Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition for Pianists.
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