Skidmore to welcome pianist Christopher O'Riley

Pianist Christopher O'Riley, who is renowned not only for his talented performances of classical repertoire but also for his recordings of tunes by contemporary musicians like Radiohead, will perform Friday, March 25, at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. 

O'Riley's Skidmore performance will begin at 8 p.m. in the Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall. General admission for the event is $12, and $5 for students. Tickets are available at online . Also, the Zankel Music Center box office will sell tickets for this event from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, March 24, and noon to 3 p.m. on the day of the concert.

O'Riley's visit is part of the Sterne Virtuoso Series at the College, and includes a master class that he will present at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, in Ladd Concert Hall. The class is free and open to the public.

Host of the popular classical music National Public Radio show, "From the Top," O'Riley established himself as a critically acclaimed master of classical repertoire, and went on to record piano arrangements of music by contemporary alternative rock bands such as Radiohead, Nirvana, and Pink Floyd.

For his Skidmore recital, O'Riley will play both classical pieces and his own arrangements, highlighting music from his August 2009 release, "Out of My Hands."

A recent review by The New York Times of an O'Riley performance said, "He conveyed the thrashing intensity of a rock band with pungently spiky chords and thick textures."

O'Rileyhas been quoted as saying he prefers to "mix up" his performing career with a varied calendar of activities. "I am happiest when I am playing the piano," he said.