Praised by the New York Times for his “Lisztian thunder and deft fluidity," pianist Paul Barnes has electrified audiences with his intensely expressive playing and cutting-edge programming. He has been featured seven times on APM’s Performance Today , on the cover of Clavier Magazine, and his recordings are streamed worldwide. 
 Celebrating his twenty-three-year collaboration with Philip Glass, Barnes commissioned and gave the world premiere performance of Glass's Piano Quintet "Annunciation" with the Chiara Quartet at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Barnes’ world premiere recording with string quartet superstars Brooklyn Rider was released in October. The work is Glass's first piano quintet and first work based on Greek Orthodox chant. The Journal Star described the world premiere as "meditative...striking...touchingly played by Barnes and the quintet, 'Annunciation' is a romantic, late-period Glass masterwork." 
 Barnes is Marguerite Scribante Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music. In great demand as a pedagogue and clinician, Barnes has served as convention artist at several state MTNA conventions, most recently at Virginia in October of 2018, and was recently named "Teacher of the Year" by the Nebraska Music Teachers Barnes' recordings are available on Pandora, ITunes, Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify.