Sylvia Berry
Philadelphia native Sylvia Berry is one of North America's leading exponents of the fortepiano and is a frequent harpsichord soloist. Hailed by Early Music America as "a complete master of rhetoric, whether in driving passagework or [in] cantabile adagios," she is known not only for her exciting performances but for her engaging commentary about the music and the instruments she plays. Her disc of Haydn's London Sonatas, recorded on an 1806 Broadwood grand, received critical acclaim. Fanfare enthused, "To say that Berry plays these works with vim, vigor, verve, and vitality, is actually a bit of an understatement." Of a concerto appearance with Bach Collegium San Diego, the San Diego Sun Tribune opined: “Berry was everywhere at once, showing how this instrument, with such an ensemble, can be more powerful than a modern piano.” She’s appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and art song collaborator on a wide variety of instruments.
As a scholar, Berry has written and lectured on the instruments and performance practices of the 18th and early 19th centuries, and taught masterclasses at the Curtis School of Music, Temple University, Longy School of Music, Case Western Reserve University, and the Academy of Fortepiano Performance (Hunter, NY), among others. Based in the Boston area, she coaches chamber music at Harvard University’s Mather House. Berry studied at the New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.