For Adam Jackson, the piano offers limitless possibilities.
“The repertoire that pianists have is just so vast. So many composers wrote some of their best music for piano. Even those who didn’t primarily compose for piano often crafted their orchestral works at the keyboard. The piano carries the responsibility for melody, harmony, and rhythm all at once. It has so many jobs, so I get to experience more of music through it,” Jackson explained.
As the winner of the 2024 Dallas International Piano Competition, Jackson will return to Dallas to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major with the Dallas Chamber Symphony. The concert, scheduled for April 29 at the Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District, will also feature the world premiere of Joe Kraemer’s Rivers and Dust and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, “Spring.”
Born in the United Kingdom, Jackson began his piano studies at age seven after his family moved back to the United States. In 2017, he was admitted to the Kaufman Music Center High School, and by 2019, he had entered Juilliard’s Pre-College Division. Currently studying piano performance at The Juilliard School, he is set to begin his Master of Music program there as well.
Jackson studies under Professors Orli Shaham and Julian Martin at Juilliard and has attended master classes with renowned artists such as Richard Goode, Mikhail Voskresensky, Alexandre Moutouzkine, Boris Slutsky, and Ilana Vered.
These experiences have significantly shaped his approach to performance and his broader understanding of music.
“Sometimes it’s just the way someone phrases a familiar idea that unlocks something in me and allows me to apply it in my practice,” Jackson said, reflecting on Vered’s advice. “Some lessons have stayed with me for years.”
Jackson has performed with orchestras including the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio in Poznan, the Siletz Bay Music Festival Orchestra in Oregon, the New York Chamber Players, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, and the Symphony of Westchester.
Among his achievements, Jackson won the International Young Musicians Competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales in 2017. He also took second prize at the Leschetizky International Concerto Competition, third prize at the Kaufman International Youth Piano Competition in New York, and first place in the Special Music School Concerto Competition in 2019.
He views competitions not as contests, but as opportunities for performance.
“I approach competitions like performances. I remind myself not to play differently just because it’s a competition,” he said.
One of Jackson’s earliest memorable experiences came at age 11 when he competed at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, winning first prize in the Under-16 category and performing live on British television — all inside a giant tent.
“It was just a giant tent, so the acoustics were very different, although from the stage, it felt similar thanks to microphones and sound production,” Jackson recalled. “I didn’t think about the TV cameras. I treated it like any other performance. That was one of the first moments where I thought, ‘This feels like being a professional pianist.’ It was exciting.”
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 has been celebrated since its debut. An 1809 review described it as “the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever.”
“Beethoven can be so complex, and the main challenge is to make his music accessible to the audience,” Jackson said. “I always ask myself, ‘What emotion do I want to evoke in them?’”
The concerto has three movements: Allegro moderato, Andante con moto, and Rondo (Vivace).
“What I particularly love about the first movement is the conversation between the piano and the orchestra. Right from the start, the piano presents the opening theme in G major, and the orchestra responds in B major. It may not sound striking in words, but in music, it’s bold and arresting,” Jackson explained.
The second movement, often interpreted as a musical retelling of Orpheus pleading with the Furies, presents a poignant dialogue between the piano and orchestra.
“It’s tragic. The piano is vulnerable, pleading, while the orchestra remains powerful and unyielding,” Jackson said.
The third movement ties everything together.
“The third movement is so elegant and playful. It also recalls many musical fragments from the first movement, creating a strong connection that makes the second movement feel even more special,” Jackson said.
Returning to Dallas, Jackson is excited to reconnect with the audience that supported him so warmly during the Dallas International Piano Competition finals.
“What I loved most was that right before I went onstage, all of my nerves disappeared because it genuinely felt like the audience wanted to be there and was excited. You don’t always feel that energy, and it was incredible. I hope to see some familiar faces again because that was a very special experience,” Jackson said.
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