Meet Awadagin Pratt | SFCM Professor of Piano 

Thank you. You made quite an impression on my son this summer, and he appreciated very much your gift to teach and inspire, while breaking things down from the very big picture to the specifics and dynamics of the underlying themes in a given piano work. As I have always tried to impress on him, even the Ancient Greeks went very deep into the macro/micro connection, or as Charles Baudelaire expressed it his great Symbolist poem: Les Correspondences. Thank you for being a mentor and musical inspiration to so many, from every background. You inspire in me the idea that the possibility of being a “Renaissance” person is still possible, even when it goes against the prevailing historical currents.

What a joy to see this video! I admired Mr. Pratt's artistry in the President's Piano Series in Seattle, and when he offered a master class while I was a student, I jumped on it as I had a couple of Rachmaninov preludes that needed his insight. Unfortunately, I was bumped to the back of the class and time didn't allow me to play for him. I remember crying in my car because I was so devastated. I wrote him a desperate note and left it at his hotel. He called me later in the evening and offered to meet me early the next day to hear my playing. His duty to the master class was finished, but he still reached out to me because I so badly wanted to play for him. When I played for him early the next morning (he brought coffee), he advised me to simply tell the story: respect the composer's directions and don't get lost in romanticism: just tell the story as the composer indicated. It was a revelation to me, and suddenly these pieces snapped together into coherence. What a wonderful, incisive teacher. He continues to be a great hero for me, both as a thoughtful, full-hearted pianist, and also as a generous, kind-hearted musician, teacher, and human being. Awa (as I think of you): you'll always be a great inspiration in my heart and mind. Thank you for sharing your full-hearted commitment to music, and your generosity and kindness with others aspiring to excellence.. I am so very glad to know that you continue to do so much good in this world. I'm happy you're still you're sharing your gifts with others. What you gave me in one early morning changed my life, and I am so very grateful....Gail, formerly in Seattle

Salute to you sir . 🤠 I am from India and an amateur singer .Arrived in SF this week and living very near to yr Institute in Market Street. Will u spare some time to meet me and guide me over a cup of coffee and take me to yr present world ?