A Ghanaian American and resident of Seattle, William Chapman Nyaho brings a unique cultural background and extraordinarily eclectic sense of music to the concert hall, propelling an evening of his music to, as one critic put it, "reach great heights."
Chapman Nyaho's performances have taken him to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and North America, including Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center. Chapman Nyaho has been featured on radio and television broadcasts in Ghana, Switzerland, and on “Performance Today” on NPR. He also developed and hosted “The Bach Show” for classical radio station KRVS in Louisiana. His piano duo, the Nyaho/Garcia Duo, released the critically acclaimed CD Aaron Copland: Music For Two Pianos.
Chapman Nyaho created and performed his solo CD Senku: Piano Music by Composers of African Descent, a ground-breaking compilations of music of the African Diaspora. Gramophone Magazine said, "Nyaho's gripping performances kept my ears glued to this disc…Let's hope the pianist continues to explore and record more such commanding repertoire." Listen to tracks from Senku on Chapman Nyaho's YouTube channel.
Dr. Maya Angelou herself wrote the liner notes for Senku, remarking, “This CD holds moments of discovery so delicious that the listeners will be made to laugh out loud and to compliment not just Dr. Chapman Nyaho, but themselves at their good fortune in finding these composers and this pianist."
Chapman Nyaho has edited a wonderful anthology of sheet music called Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, published by Oxford University Press. It’s a fascinating survey of music by African composers, much of it published for the first time, including a kaleidoscope of different styles, moods, genres, and colors. A first of its kind, this collection not only represents an important historical gathering of composers of African descent, but provides fresh music to the piano repertoire for students and concert pianists.
A professor of music, Chapman Nyaho graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and holds a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Working with students of all levels from elementary school through college, Chapman Nyaho connects with them through performance as well as discussions of his art form and what it takes to be an artist.
Follow William Chapman Nyaho on Facebook, or visit his website. He joins the Cape Symphony on January 25 and 26 for Passport to Africa.
