Orion Weiss

Orion Weiss is an American pianist who appears with orchestras across the United States as a concerto soloist. In these upcoming performances he plays MacDowell's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Fresno Philharmonic and Bach's Keyboard Concerto in D minor with the Buffalo Philharmonic, both paired with Elgar's Enigma Variations. Listeners drawn to expressive but disciplined pianism, spanning Romantic concerto writing and Baroque keyboard concertos, will find him a compelling soloist to hear live.

In Fresno, Weiss takes on MacDowell's Second Piano Concerto, a late-Romantic showpiece full of sweeping, virtuosic runs and a lyrical slow middle movement, framed by Elgar's Enigma Variations, a set of orchestral portraits of the composer's friends built from one memorable opening tune. In Buffalo, the pairing shifts to Bach, with Weiss featured in the Keyboard Concerto in D minor, a taut, minor-key work where the piano and strings trade urgent, driving lines, alongside a Brandenburg Concerto and a choral miniature. Listeners can expect playing that favors clarity of line and rhythmic precision, letting both the Romantic sweep of MacDowell and the contrapuntal detail of Bach come through without excess pedal or blur.