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Richard Kastle (born December 15, 1958) is an American classical pianist and composer.

Early years

He attended Dupuis Elementary School in Hialeah, Florida. Kastle studied with Ivan Davis. He composed piano concertos throughout his teenage years while studying with Davis. He continued his studies as a piano major at the University of North Texas, where he was expelled before graduation when he appeared in "old blue jeans, paint-stained sneakers and a torn Jack Daniels T-shirt" at a recital. He later made monthly performances at The Comeback Inn in Venice, California

Performance and recording career

Kastle made his network television debut in 1989 on CBS's The Pat Sajak Show. He signed with Virgin Records in 1991. His debut release was titled "Streetwise" in 1991. Kastle's television appearances include a performance and interview on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Kastle promoted his national tour on the episode that aired July 3, 1991. In 1992, Virgin recorded his Piano Concerto #5, also known as the Royce Concerto, with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. His third symphony was based on the sinking of the Titanic. To date, Kastle has composed eight piano concertos.

Albums

• Royce Concerto (September 30, 1997) Yum Recordings
• Streetwise (March 5, 1991) Atlantic Records

References

1. "Rhapsody in Purple". Miami Herald. February 13, 1992. Retrieved 2009-03-09. At age 9, Richard Kastle wowed his classmates and teachers at Hialeah's Dupuis Elementary with a stunning performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, which he learned to play by ear -- even though he had never taken a piano lesson in his life. "He's a musical genius." said Mary Anne Quick, Kastle's former piano teacher. "I remember he walked in and played the Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt after hearing it on the Tom and Jerry cartoon," she said. "Back then, he couldn't even read music." Today, Kastle, 33, is hoping to wow national audiences as this self-described "wild, weird" concert pianist with the purple hair is opening for comedian Jay Leno when he tours. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. ^ Wharton, David (September 11, 1988). "A Little Longhair Music, With Spikes and Stripes Lizst and Chains: Punked-Out Classical Musician Thrives on Culture Clash". Los Angeles Times. has attracted a cult following to monthly performances at The Comeback Inn in Venice. The Center for Performing Arts at UCLA is talking to him about the possibility of playing on campus this fall. A movie producer says he is close to signing Kastle to score an upcoming film. ... Richard Kastle's third symphony is based on the sinking of the Titanic. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
3. ^ Appleford, Steve (March 24, 1991). "Spike-Haired Pianist Shows How You Can't Judge an Album by His Jacket". Los Angeles Times. The image of glaring out from the cover of his new "Streetwise" album, looking tough and anti-Establishment in spiked hair and a sleeveless leather jacket, seems hardly enough to separate him from scores of other leather-clad recording artists, all vying for record buyer attention this year. Except, that is, for a warning label that reads, 'Parental Advisory: This album contains classical music, no lyrics whatsoever.' ... It was Kastle's refusal to dress formally for concerts that ultimately got him expelled from the music program at the University of Texas before graduation, he said. During his first performance there, Kastle appeared in old blue jeans, paint-stained sneakers and a torn Jack Daniels T-shirt. Kastle had merely been following a tradition set by the lives of the composers Beethoven and Mozart, who were "radical guys" in their own time, he said. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
4. ^ "Hip Composer Opening for Leno". Miami Herald. February 20, 1992. Retrieved 2009-02-23. Richard Kastle is the kind of guy who does things his way. You know, establishment-aside-it's-my-show kind of thinking. A classical pianist, he does Bach and Beethoven, all right, but he's not inclined to wear the standard tuxedo and starched white shirt. This is a guy who, at the University of Texas, tapped out Mozart's Sonata in A Major in a torn Jack Daniel's T-shirt and ripped jeans with arrows shaved on his scalp. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
5. "Music Listings". New York Times. September 28, 2003. Retrieved 2009-03-08. Family concert of Mr. Kastle's Piano Concerto No. 8 and arrangements of piano sonatas by Beethoven. Thalia at Symphony Space, Bway at 95th St., 8. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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External link

• Official website The website states its mission, which is to focus on new advances in science that may help unlock the secret to why Franz Liszt was able to play notes that were impossible to all other pianists.

• Living people
• Living deaths
• Composers
• University of North Texas alumni
• Pianists