Biography

Music

American pianist Albert Frantz discovered his musical talent and classical music at the unusual age of seventeen, thanks to preparatory teacher Nancy Lou Pellett. Despite his late start, under the tutelage of Dr. Steven H. Smith at Penn State University, where he sacrificed engineering studies in favor of music, he went on to win local, state and national piano competitions.

As the first pianist to be awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Vienna in nearly a decade, he studied with Prof. Roland Batik at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna. In Vienna, he was mentored by the distinguished pianist Paul Badura-Skoda and worked extensively on 19th-century performance practice with Sally Sargent. His other teachers include Profs. Marylène Dosse of Penn State University, Dr. Harvey Wedeen of Temple University, and Jörg Demus.

Recordings

Albert's debut album, of virtuosic works by Romantic composer Charles-Valentin Alkan, was an official jury nomination for the German Record Critics' Award. His solo album of Liszt's complete Transcendental Etudes is planned for release together with his book Transcend. In 2023 he released a chamber music album, Sonus, to critical acclaim.

Teaching

As a teacher and entrepreneur, Albert is the founder of Key-Notes, a unique piano learning platform created especially to meet the needs of adult learners, for which he develops courses and innovative software.

Speaking and Activism

As an international keynote speaker, Albert speaks on issues of children's rights worldwide at venues including the Austrian Parliament, the World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights, and the United Nations in Geneva. In the upcoming season, Albert will perform the inaugural Concert for Children's Rights at Vienna's City Hall, together with the Vienna Boys' Choir and Vienna Girls' Choir. Albert is also among the most frequent contributors to the TEDx platform as both speaker and performing artist.

Other

A passionate amateur athlete, Albert has trained with Mercedes AMG and Aston Martin Racing and completed Ironman triathlons. In 2023 he ran the Vienna City Marathon and upon crossing the finish line performed a closing recital in support of Train of Hope, a nonprofit that supports Ukrainian refugees. Albert's unique story was the subject of a documentary by dreama.tv, and he was the cover story for Toastmaster Magazine in 142 countries.

Albert is a Bösendorfer Artist.