David Northington is a renowned classical pianist and professor of music at the University of Tennessee. He was born on August 22, 1949, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a church organist, and his mother was a singer. Northington began playing the piano at the age of five and showed exceptional talent from an early age. Northington received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Tennessee in 1971 and went on to earn his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in 1973. He continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with legendary pianist and teacher Lev Naumov. Northington's career as a concert pianist began in the early 1970s, and he quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso performer. He has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also given recitals in major concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Royal Albert Hall. Northington has recorded extensively throughout his career, with over 20 albums to his name. His recordings have received critical acclaim and have been praised for their technical brilliance and musical sensitivity. He has recorded works by a wide range of composers, including Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. In addition to his career as a performer, Northington is also a respected teacher and scholar. He has been a professor of music at the University of Tennessee since 1977 and has taught many of the leading pianists of the next generation. He has also written extensively on music, with articles and reviews published in leading music journals. Northington has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1980, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, which recognizes outstanding young musicians. He has also been awarded the Tennessee Governor's Award for the Arts and the University of Tennessee Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. One of the highlights of Northington's career was his performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 with the New York Philharmonic in 1982. The performance was widely praised, with The New York Times calling Northington's playing "brilliant and sensitive." Northington has also performed with many other leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Northington's recordings have also received critical acclaim. His recording of Chopin's complete Nocturnes was praised by Gramophone magazine as "a landmark in the history of Chopin recordings." His recording of Liszt's Transcendental Etudes was also highly praised, with The New York Times calling it "a performance of extraordinary virtuosity and musicality." Northington's contributions to music education have also been widely recognized. He has been a guest lecturer and performer at many universities and music schools around the world, including the Moscow Conservatory, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Juilliard School. He has also served as a judge for many international piano competitions, including the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Leeds International Piano Competition. In conclusion, David Northington is a highly respected classical pianist, teacher, and scholar.

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