Young People's Concert: "Young Performers No 4 / Bernstein - New York Philharmonic
Born in Nuremberg, Germany, André is the son of a Hungarian mother, Maria Alexandra Gusmits, a pianist, and an American father, Herman Watts, a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer.
André spent his early childhood in Europe, living mostly near army posts where his father was stationed. He began studying the violin at the age of four. By six he decided the piano was his instrument; Maria gave him the first piano lesson..
When André was eight Herman's military assignment brought the family to the United States. They settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As with many children André disliked practicing. For encouragement, Maria would tell stories of the great pianist and composer Franz Liszt, making it clear that Liszt practiced faithfully. André found inspiration in Liszt, adopting his theatrical playing style.
After the divorce of his parents in 1962, André remained with Maria, who supported the two, working as a secretary and later as a receptionist.
André enrolled at the Philadelphia Musical Academy, as part of the University of the Arts, where he studied with Genia Robinor, Doris Bawden, and Clement Petrillo, graduating in June 1963. He entered his first competition at nine, with forty other children, for the opportunity to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra Children's Concert. André won this competition playing a concerto by Joseph Haydn.
At the age of ten, André performed Mendelssohn’s G minor concerto with the Robin Hood Dell Orchestra.
At fourteen, Franck’s Symphonic Variations, again with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
At sixteen, he auditioned at Carnegie Recital Hall in a competition to play in conductor Leonard Bernstein’s televised Young People’s Concert series with the New York Philharmonic. This clip is the actual recording of André’s magnificent performance.