Pianist to join Danville Symphony Orchestra in concert

Danville native Michael Adcock has played venues around the world, including the famed Carnegie Hall, but he ultimately finds it more stressful to play for a hometown crowd.

It’s that “hometown boy makes good” pressure, he said earlier this week from his home in Washington, D.C.

“You’re judged by every performance, and the more successful you become, the more that’s expected of you,” he said.

An instructor at the Washington Conservatory of Music, Adcock will perform Camille Saints-Saens “Piano Concerto No. 2 in g minor” next weekend with the Danville Symphony Orchestra, part of the group’s Spring Classical Concert.

It marks a return visit for Adcock, whose family still resides here, and most likely can still hear him practicing the same songs, over and over again, the sound imprinted on their memories.

“Most kids, their parents had to ask them to practice,” Adcock said with a laugh, adding that in his case, his parents often said they’d heard enough. “I was self-motivated and disciplined from the start.”

And although he had moments when he wasn’t certain that music was destined to become his life - “There were times I doubted it along the way,” he said. “I wondered if I had what it took.” - ultimately, he found he had the strength to enter a very demanding and competitive world.

A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts (the high school upon which the movie “Fame” was based), Adcock also graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory, where he earned his master’s and doctorate degrees.

Today, in addition to serving on the faculty of the Washington Conservatory of Music, he maintains a steady performance schedule, relying on the discipline he learned at an early age to carry him through.

“People only see the glamorous side of being a concert pianist,” said Adcock. “But it’s a very demanding field and it takes a lot of dedication.”

There’s an athleticism to performing, and his passion for music requires him to find time within his schedule to squeeze in workouts.

“You have to be in peak physical condition,” he said.

His breaks are mostly working vacations, where he travels the world to collaborate with other musicians, experiencing music on different levels and finding innovative ways to express himself.

Just before his Danville concert Adcock is headed to Palm Springs for five days to perform with a vocalist there, and he hopes to soak up some sun and relax a little before his hometown show.

Afterward, he’ll return to the Washington Conservatory, teaching his craft to students who are eager to make musical magic.

“It’s great to be able to pass along everything I’ve learned,” said Adcock. “Then, I really feel like I’m giving back.”

The Danville Symphony Orchestra with guest artist Michael Adcock will perform at 8 p.m. March 15 at George Washington High School, 701 Broad St.

Admission to the concert, which will include Shubert’s “Unfinished Symphony,” is free.

For more information, call (434) 797-2666 or visit www.danvillesymphony.net