Originally from the Niagara Falls area of upstate New York, Jeffrey Middleton studied piano at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, followed by the Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He has lived in New York City since then and pursued a diverse musical career, including chamber music, solo recitals, and vocal accompaniment. His teachers include Theodore Rehl, Howard Aibel, Donald Currier, and Seymour Bernstein.
As a soloist, Middleton has specialized in the music of Joseph Fennimore and has made first recordings of many of his compositions, which are available on Albany Records.
For over 20 years, he worked at the Harlem School of the Arts, where he accompanied Betty Allen’s classes, coached singers, and directed an opera workshop. Concurrently, he held a long-standing position at the School of American Ballet, Lincoln Center, where he developed a curriculum to teach music to dancers.
Albums
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Catalog Number: TROY1986
Pianist Jeffrey Middleton interprets Bach’s legendary collection of 24 preludes and fugues on BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK TWO. These pieces were written to demonstrate the use of all major and minor keys using the equal temperament tuning system. In this compilation of music from around 1742, Bach draws from his earlier work, reconsidering and refining it. The collection showcases Middleton’s sensitive virtuosity and technical ability. Performed on a Steinway Centennial Grand piano that was lovingly rebuilt by Marc Weinert, THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER BOOK TWO carries on the legacy of Bach’s timeless compositions with nuance and clarity.