This remarkable statement, by Allan Ulrich of The San Francisco Chronicle, synopsizes much of what it is that makes Cameron Carpenter special: not only that he is a dazzling performer or a shrewd showman, but that these are just the first impressions to be had from a diverse and prolific artist.

From Franz Liszt and Vladimir Horowitz to Michael Jackson and David Bowie, the most enduring musicians emerge as revolutionaries in their field, but never stop evolving as their careers develop.  Encompassing the organ in all its iterations – pipe, virtual, classical, and popular – Cameron’s unique voice is following that pattern. He is renowned not only for his playing of the great organ works, but also for his compositions which – in their emphasis on color, secularity, and performative freedom – follow in the footsteps of Percy Grainger, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and Leopold Godowsky.

The result? He is a popular concert hall artist; performs with pop singers like Vinicio Capossela and Bishi; is a frequent guest soloist with international symphony orchestras; and enjoys a career that in only three years has taken him to Royal Albert Hall (London), Melbourne Town Hall (Australia), Tchaikovsky Hall (Moscow), Capella (St. Petersburg), Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), Disney Hall (Los Angeles), Davies Hall (San Francisco), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Philharmonic Hall (Cologne), and Philharmonic Hall (Berlin). For playing Chopin’s Études, Op. 10 on the organ; for his design of organs, organ benches, Swarovski-encrusted performance wear and organ shoes; for his original works and improvisations; and for his expansion of the organ repertoire into music from film, animé, and popular culture, he is widely acclaimed.

To say he is “acclaimed” begs the question: by whom? In Cameron’s case, not just by reviewers, but by audiences worldwide.  At his Russian debut at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall, he was called back to the stage for eight encores; amidst pounding rhythmic applause at Saint Petersburg’s Capella, for twelve encores. The U.S. Consul General stated that the six standing ovations were the first she had ever witnessed in her four-and-a-half years of attending cultural events in St. Petersburg.

At Cameron’s 2009 New York recital, recorded live as Cameron Live! The CD, the ovations came not only from the capacity audience, but also from the press. The New York Times noticed that “everything (he) did... was meant to show his audience exactly what he was up to, without compromising the serious music he played.”  Of the same concert, Feast Of Music’s Pete Matthews raved: “Are there any miracles left in the modern world? Is the concept of musical genius — represented by flawless technique and effortless execution — nothing but a myth? To all those who question the full capacity of human ability, I have but two words: Cameron Carpenter. His facility and flamboyance on the organ defies description. All you could do was sit and shake your head at the majesty of it all.”

Amid the acclaim, though, it’s worth noting that one of Cameron’s most vocal advocates comes from within the “old guard” of the organ community:  Dr. John Weaver, formerly the head of the organ departments for 25 years at both The Juilliard School and The Curtis Institute of Music. In his spoken introduction to Cameron’s first appearance at a national convention of the conservative American Guild of Organists

2012 recipient of the coveted Leonard Bernstein Award, Cameron Carpenter is a virtuoso composer-performer who is smashing the stereotypes of organists and organ music. With combined millions of hits on YouTube, BBC Radio 3, The New York Times, and other notable international press outlets, Cameron is the world’s most visible organist and the first ever nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for a solo album. Since receiving a Master’s Degree from The Juilliard School in New York in 2006, he has given debuts at venues including Royal Albert Hall, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Melbourne Town Hall, Tschaikowsky Hall in Moscow, Davies Hall in San Francisco, and many others. His first major work for organ and orchestra, The Scandal, Op. 3, was commissioned by the Cologne Philharmonie (KölnMusic GmbH) and premiered on New Year’s Day 2011 by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie under the direction of Alexander Shelley.

Highlights of 2015-2016 include Cameron’s return with National Symphony Orchestra as well as a residency with SFJazz. Summer of 2015 saw his debut with The Boston Symphony at Tanglewood and also his Chinese debut with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Long Yu. Cameron was also the Artist in Residence at the Aspen Arts and Ideas Festival in July 2015. Previous Artists in residence included Yo-Yo Ma, Julie Aymor and Anna Deveare Smith.

Recently named “one of the best jazz bands in New York today” by Forbes magazine, the Hot Sardines is born of a unique musical recipe: take hot jazz and sultry standards from the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s, sprinkle in the rich Dixieland sounds of New Orleans, add a dash of wartime Paris flavor, and infuse a wealth of vibrant musical surprises that hold audiences captive long after the show ends. Recent highlights include appearances on CBS Saturday morning and Later with Jools Holland in the UK as well as orchestral debuts with the Boston Pops and the gala reopening of the Rainbow Room at New York’s Rockefeller Center. Their debut album produced by Grammy winner Eli Wolf went to #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts in the US and UK.

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