The Washington International Piano Artists Competition and the Panamerican-Panafrican Association, Inc. are pleased to announce that for a second year, an award will be given to a winner of the Annual WIPAC competition in honor of pianist, Robert Starling Pritchard. The Competition will take place in July 2015.
WIPAC has created a major cultural event since 2003 in Washington DC as one of the world’s leading piano artists competition for performers over the age of 31 who are not professional pianists. Designating one of the prizes in the name of Robert Pritchard is an acknowledgment of his significant career as an accomplished concert artist and as one of the first concert pianists of classical music of African-American descent. Indeed, Robert S. Pritchard was the first concert pianist of African American descent to be featured in a commercial recording performing the works of Bach, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Pritchard. This recording has been reissued on the Smithsonian Institute record label.
Pritchard performed in the major musical capitals of the world and was also a pioneer in bringing classical music recitals to countries on the African continent. He was also the founder of the West African Institute of Arts and Crafts in Liberia. The editor of Monrovia`s Daily Listener, remarked to the New York Times that Pritchard “has accomplished more for the cultural advancement and development of Liberia and West Africa than many Trade and Economic Missions who have visited the country.” He was also the author of the First World Festival of Black Arts presented by the government of Senegal with the cooperation of UNESCO.
Robert Pritchard founded the Panamerican-Panfrican Association to promote cultural understanding between the countries of the USA and Latin America, as well as between the American Hemisphere and the African Continent.
The New York Times wrote of Robert Pritchard’s performance. “there was always the assured and true ring of real artistry”.
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