Sheet music by John Wustman

In a role that would seem to dictate deference and reserve, John Wustman, widely hailed as the leading keyboard accompanist of his generation, has achieved a level of success rarely attained by piano soloists. The list of major singers he’s accompanied in recital is almost endless: Luciano Pavarotti, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Régine Crespin, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, Carlo Bergonzi, and Nicolai Gedda, to mention just a few. Not surprisingly, Wustman has appeared at major concert venues, like Carnegie Hall, more times than most of the singers he’s accompanied. He shared a Grand Prix du Disque with Russian mezzo Irina Arkhipova for their recording of Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov songs. Wustman has been on the faculty at the University of Illinois since 1968 and has held several other important educational posts. Wustman has also made numerous arrangements of operatic arias, songs, and other vocal repertory. He has appeared on many recordings, for a variety of labels, including Decca, DG, EMI, Sony, and Telarc.