Power pianist: Anthony de Mare channels contemporary music through his passion for physical fitness.

"I'm the type, if I see something, I tackle it," says classical musician Anthony de Mare. He means it literally: The self-described "interdisciplinary pianist"--who makes his Carnegie Hall debut March 15--is known for throwing his bulked-up body fully into his music-making. In Playing' My Self, his 2001 show that toured the United States and other countries, De Mare recited poetry, sang, and even tap-danced--all while playing the piano.

A teacher at New York University and the Manhattan School of Music, De Mare knows the classics, but he specializes in the contemporary. "It's a genre I feel connected to," he says. He's also deeply committed to fitness: He's had a serious gym routine for 20 years now.

Dozens of works have been written for De Mare's unique talents. One has become famous: Frederic Rzewski's De Profundis, using portions of Oscar Wilde's famous letter from prison. In the 40-minute piece, De Mare recites the text while playing at the keyboard. Occasionally he also blows old car horns or plays a beat on Iris muscular chest. "It's like doing a monologue--[and] the piano is supposed to be an extension of the body," he explains.

De Mare, 47, has always had a knack for more than music. Accompanied by his older sisters, he studied ballet and modern dance starting in third grade. He was also heavily involved in the theater program at the Jesuit boys' school he attended in his native Rochester, N.Y.

Music and men both drew trim: "I had a record collection as a kid, and probably the love of music started with that," he says. He recalls being 4 years old and bewitched by the Mario Lanza recording of The Student Prince. "I was fascinated with the cover," he says. "There was a virility in the picture of this man, and I used to take the LP with me for my naps. [But] I never listened to the recording. It was all about the image!"

De Mare came out at age 21, but only after his morn found his copy of the popular 1974 gay novel The Front Runner. He recalls their conversation ending with his declaration: "'This is who I am. I've been this way since I was a kid.' She didn't like it, but she came to accept it quickly."

De Mare, who was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1991, will soon be moving to Chelsea, home base to his writer boyfriend. The two met about five years ago at the gym. "One thing that's sexy to me is a man who has intelligence," says De Mare. Also, he concedes that "everything having to do with a locker room always has been a major turn-on."

In store for De Mare's concert at Carnegie's new Zankel Hall are world premieres of new pieces by the gay composers Fred Hersch and David Del Tredici, who also has several works on De Mare's latest disc, Out of My Hands (Koch). "What I love about Tony is, he's not afraid to be out in the classical music world," says Del Tredici.

De Mare is not pulling back anytime soon. "I often say, come to this concert, look between the lines--and you'll find out something about me."

Dalton is a music critic and arts reporter for the Albany, N.Y., Times Union.