American pianist Armin Watkins showed wide musical talents at an early age, commencing piano study at age four, and violin at eight, with Howard Wells and George Perlman respectively. At seventeen, he won the Young Peoples' Concerto Competition and performed as piano soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Selected as a prestigious Lockwood Scholar at Yale, he became the only person ever to graduate with simultaneous majors in piano and violin. After completIng a master's degree at Yale, he earned a Doctor of Music degree in piano literature and performance at Indiana University, the first time this prestigious degree had ever been bestowed.
In 1957, while a student of Louis Kentner, Armin Watkins made his London piano debut at Wigmore Hall, to critical accolades. He has since performed widely as recitalist in Europe and America, with appearances on network television and radio and as soloist with such orchestras as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Columbia Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Danish Radio Symphony. He has also toured extensively on both continents as pianist of I Due Solisti, with violinist Antonio Salvatore, and has recorded for Golden Crest Records. As conductor he gave the American premiere of Threnos, in Memorium Béla Bartók for chorus and orchestra by Bartók’s Hungarian protegé, Sandor Varess.
Armin Watkins' distinguished teaching career spans more than thirty years as Professor of Music and Professor of Humanities at the University of South Florida, where he is also pianist of the Metropolitan Arts Trio in residence.