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“Twenty-five years ago, two solo pianists --
a native Bostonian named James Anagnoson and a native Torontonian named
Leslie Kinton -- decided to team up for a series of three concerts as a duo
piano team. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Long since
recognized as Canada’s leading duo pianists, Anagnoson and Kinton
turned up at the St. Lawrence Centre’s
Jane Mallet Theatre Tuesday night with a pair of Yamaha grands to
celebrate their anniversary. An appreciative full house turned up with
them."
(Music Toronto Chamber
Series)
Music Critic
William Littler, The Toronto
Star (9 December 2001)
"Synchronicity" is
used to describe an intuitive, almost inexplicable co-ordination in timing
between people. It could surely be used to describe the outstanding duo
piano artistry of James Anagnoson and Leslie Kinton. Rich in history,
Anagnoson & Kinton are entering a remarkable fourth decade of
performances. And like finer things in life, their reputation and
legacy grow richer each year.
This legendary duo has enchanted audiences
throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, and China. In 2008, Anagnoson & Kinton expanded
their presence into Russia
where they performed in St.
Petersburg’s Glazunov Hall. With many performances scheduled
throughout the 2010-11 season, upcoming highlights include a performance of
the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. The duo will perform the work with
Toronto Symphony Orchestra principal timpanist David Kent, and TSO principal
percussionist John Rudolf.
The Anagnoson & Kinton Duo continues to push
toward new artistic horizons. In
addition to performing with the major orchestras in Canada,
they have expanded in innovative musical directions. They have performed Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring alongside Ballet BC
and this past season with a video of the dance choreographed by the great Pina
Bausch at the Toronto Summer Music Festival.
As both performers and scholars, Anagnoson &
Kinton hold distinguished places in academic circles. James Anagnoson is
the Dean of The Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music. He
is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and holds a Masters Degree
from The Juilliard School. Leslie Kinton is a professor of piano
performance at the University
of Western Ontario
and is also on the faculty of The Glenn Gould School. He holds a
Masters degree and a Ph.D. in music theory from the University of Toronto.
Anagnoson & Kinton, like most outstanding
ensembles, are actually greater than the sum of their parts. Or to
quote Richard Dyer in The Boston Globe, “As individuals, they seem to
have no technical shortcomings at all; in tandem, they are more than twice
as good." And getting better.
Anagnoson & Kinton are
Yamaha Artists and have recorded for ProArte, CBC’s SM5000,
and CBC’s Musica Viva.
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