George Li, Featured Artist
Praised by the Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command and depth of expression,” pianist George Li possesses an effortless grace, brilliant virtuosity and poised authority far beyond his years. Since winning the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, Li has rapidly established a major international reputation and performs regularly with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors such as Gergiev, Dudamel, Honeck, Petrenko, Tilson Thomas and Long Yu.
Recent and upcoming concerto highlights include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Sydney Symphony and St Petersburg Philharmonic. In 2018/19, Li makes his debut with the London Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Tokyo Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, embarks on a 11-city recital tour of China and is the soloist on the Russian National Orchestra’s major US tour with Mikhail Pletnev. He frequently appears with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, including performances at the Paris Philharmonie, Luxembourg Philharmonie, New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music, Graffenegg Festival and in various venues throughout Russia.
In recital, Li performs at venues including Carnegie Hall, Davies Hall in San Francisco, the Mariinsky Theatre, Munich’s Gasteig, the Louvre, Seoul Arts Center, Tokyo’s Asahi Hall and Musashino Hall, NCPA Beijing, Shanghai Poly Theater and Amici della Musica Firenze, as well as appearances at major festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival, Ravinia Festival, Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Montreux Festival.
An active chamber musician, Li has performed alongside James Ehnes, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Benjamin Beilman, Kian Soltani, Pablo Ferrandez and Daniel Lozakovich and future plans include collaborations with Daniel Hope, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Lawrence Power. Li is an exclusive Warner Classics recording artist, with his debut recital album released in October 2017 which was recorded live from the Mariinsky.
Li gave his first public performance at Boston’s Steinway Hall at the age of ten and in 2011, performed for President Obama at the White House in an evening honoring Chancellor Angela Merkel. Among Li’s many prizes, he was the recipient of the 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant, a recipient of the 2012 Gilmore Young Artist Award, and the First Prize winner of the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In summer 2018, Li graduated from the Harvard University / New England Conservatory joint program, where he studied with Wha Kyung Byun.
Recent and upcoming concerto highlights include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Sydney Symphony and St Petersburg Philharmonic. In 2018/19, Li makes his debut with the London Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Tokyo Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, embarks on a 11-city recital tour of China and is the soloist on the Russian National Orchestra’s major US tour with Mikhail Pletnev. He frequently appears with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, including performances at the Paris Philharmonie, Luxembourg Philharmonie, New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music, Graffenegg Festival and in various venues throughout Russia.
In recital, Li performs at venues including Carnegie Hall, Davies Hall in San Francisco, the Mariinsky Theatre, Munich’s Gasteig, the Louvre, Seoul Arts Center, Tokyo’s Asahi Hall and Musashino Hall, NCPA Beijing, Shanghai Poly Theater and Amici della Musica Firenze, as well as appearances at major festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival, Ravinia Festival, Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Montreux Festival.
An active chamber musician, Li has performed alongside James Ehnes, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Benjamin Beilman, Kian Soltani, Pablo Ferrandez and Daniel Lozakovich and future plans include collaborations with Daniel Hope, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Lawrence Power. Li is an exclusive Warner Classics recording artist, with his debut recital album released in October 2017 which was recorded live from the Mariinsky.
Li gave his first public performance at Boston’s Steinway Hall at the age of ten and in 2011, performed for President Obama at the White House in an evening honoring Chancellor Angela Merkel. Among Li’s many prizes, he was the recipient of the 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant, a recipient of the 2012 Gilmore Young Artist Award, and the First Prize winner of the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In summer 2018, Li graduated from the Harvard University / New England Conservatory joint program, where he studied with Wha Kyung Byun.
Sally Cathcart, Clinician
Dr. Sally Cathcart is a musician who just happens to be fascinated by the piano and all things to do with piano teaching. She runs a teaching studio and teaching the piano is still her greatest joy.
In 2015 she formed a partnership with Sharon Mark-Teggart and founded The Curious Piano Teachers. thecuriouspianoteachers.org. This is an online membership that provides an innovative and inspiring space for piano teachers across the world to meet, share, learn and grow. Since its formation The Curious Piano Teachers has attracted a world-wide reputation for innovation and collaboration.
As well as having many years of piano teaching experience Sally is also an experienced classroom music teacher. Having spent 14 years as a Director of Music in a couple of schools she has a good understanding of the challenges facing many music departments.
Her innate curiosity has taken her to many corners of the world to explore different approaches to music education. She was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2005 and this allowed her to visit South Africa, Hungary and Cuba and study the aural approaches to instrumental learning that can be found there. She returned with a greater understanding of the value of collaboration and community. As a direct result Sally founded the Oxford Piano Group, theoxfordpianogroup.org.uk as a vibrant, collaborative place for pianists and teachers to meet and share experiences.
In 2013 she was awarded a Ph.D from the Institute of Education, University College London. Her topic was the first comprehensive study of UK piano teachers, exploring common practices, expertise, values, attitudes and motivation to teaching.
Sally is very involved in teacher training for both piano teachers and classroom teachers. She has been a Principal Tutor on the Piano Teachers’ Course (UK) since 2001 and in this role she both gives lectures and acts as a tutor.
In addition Sally is an examiner for the UK based examination board ABRSM. She also works as a syllabus consultant for them and is a member of the ABRSM Music Education Advisory Committee. Her ideas on sight-reading were developed by ABRSM into their Sight-Reading Trainer app. This has attracted considerable praise for its innovative and game based approach.
Sally is a trained Kodály practitioner and has a reputation for delivering energetic and insightful training and courses. She currently acts as a senior consultant and Musicianship Practitioner for The Voices Foundation www.voices.org.uk after spending several years as their Director of Development.
She is currently working on a series of musicianship books for young pianists which will be published in 2020.
In 2015 she formed a partnership with Sharon Mark-Teggart and founded The Curious Piano Teachers. thecuriouspianoteachers.org. This is an online membership that provides an innovative and inspiring space for piano teachers across the world to meet, share, learn and grow. Since its formation The Curious Piano Teachers has attracted a world-wide reputation for innovation and collaboration.
As well as having many years of piano teaching experience Sally is also an experienced classroom music teacher. Having spent 14 years as a Director of Music in a couple of schools she has a good understanding of the challenges facing many music departments.
Her innate curiosity has taken her to many corners of the world to explore different approaches to music education. She was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2005 and this allowed her to visit South Africa, Hungary and Cuba and study the aural approaches to instrumental learning that can be found there. She returned with a greater understanding of the value of collaboration and community. As a direct result Sally founded the Oxford Piano Group, theoxfordpianogroup.org.uk as a vibrant, collaborative place for pianists and teachers to meet and share experiences.
In 2013 she was awarded a Ph.D from the Institute of Education, University College London. Her topic was the first comprehensive study of UK piano teachers, exploring common practices, expertise, values, attitudes and motivation to teaching.
Sally is very involved in teacher training for both piano teachers and classroom teachers. She has been a Principal Tutor on the Piano Teachers’ Course (UK) since 2001 and in this role she both gives lectures and acts as a tutor.
In addition Sally is an examiner for the UK based examination board ABRSM. She also works as a syllabus consultant for them and is a member of the ABRSM Music Education Advisory Committee. Her ideas on sight-reading were developed by ABRSM into their Sight-Reading Trainer app. This has attracted considerable praise for its innovative and game based approach.
Sally is a trained Kodály practitioner and has a reputation for delivering energetic and insightful training and courses. She currently acts as a senior consultant and Musicianship Practitioner for The Voices Foundation www.voices.org.uk after spending several years as their Director of Development.
She is currently working on a series of musicianship books for young pianists which will be published in 2020.
Nancy O'Neill Breth, Clinician
Nancy O’Neill Breth teaches piano and chamber music to students of all ages in the Washington, DC metro area. She collaborates with teachers throughout the country, speaking frequently at state and national conferences. Her 2019 speaking engagements include her fourth presentation at MTNA’s national conference, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the Utah Music Teachers Association conference, where she will be keynote speaker and conference clinician.
Nancy’s latest project is Effective Practicing, a collection of short YouTube videos in which she demonstrates tips from her various publications on practicing.
Breth piano and chamber music students are frequent laureates in state, national and international competitions. Several appeared on National Public Radio’s “From the Top”; three of her duet teams won MTNA’s national Piano Duet competition. Her students have earned admittance to prestigious summer programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood, Meadowmount, International Institute for Young Musicians and The Perlman Institute; have gone on to receive music degrees from Indiana University, Juilliard, New England and Eastman Conservatories; and have been selected by Chamber Music America as resident chamber artists in rural America. Some currently hold piano professorships in university schools of music.
Nancy’s work as pianist and arts presenter in the United States, Latin America and Asia led the Washington Post to praise her “superb musicianship”, calling her Music Connection concert series “brilliant” and “imaginative”. The Mexico City News wrote that Breth’s Camerata de Mexico “offers the best chamber music in Mexico.”
Nancy taught piano, chamber music and pedagogy at Washington DC’s Levine School of Music for many years. She chaired its Chamber Music department for 13 years. Due to her innovative curriculum building and event planning, the number of adults and children studying chamber music at Levine grew from around 40 to almost 400.
In New York City Nancy was producer/director of a children’s opera by Michael Colgrass, and built an acclaimed chamber music program for children on Roosevelt Island.
Nancy has lectured on music at the Smithsonian Institution, Florida State University and George Mason University, and is a popular piano pedagogy clinician. She has written for American Music Teacher, Keyboard Companion and ClavierMagazine. Her publications include The Piano Student's Guide to Effective Practicing, the Parents’ Guide to Effective Practicing, Practicing the Piano, and a set of elementary piano trios after John Gay’s The Beggars Opera, all published by Hal Leonard Corporation.
Nancy’s latest project is Effective Practicing, a collection of short YouTube videos in which she demonstrates tips from her various publications on practicing.
Breth piano and chamber music students are frequent laureates in state, national and international competitions. Several appeared on National Public Radio’s “From the Top”; three of her duet teams won MTNA’s national Piano Duet competition. Her students have earned admittance to prestigious summer programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood, Meadowmount, International Institute for Young Musicians and The Perlman Institute; have gone on to receive music degrees from Indiana University, Juilliard, New England and Eastman Conservatories; and have been selected by Chamber Music America as resident chamber artists in rural America. Some currently hold piano professorships in university schools of music.
Nancy’s work as pianist and arts presenter in the United States, Latin America and Asia led the Washington Post to praise her “superb musicianship”, calling her Music Connection concert series “brilliant” and “imaginative”. The Mexico City News wrote that Breth’s Camerata de Mexico “offers the best chamber music in Mexico.”
Nancy taught piano, chamber music and pedagogy at Washington DC’s Levine School of Music for many years. She chaired its Chamber Music department for 13 years. Due to her innovative curriculum building and event planning, the number of adults and children studying chamber music at Levine grew from around 40 to almost 400.
In New York City Nancy was producer/director of a children’s opera by Michael Colgrass, and built an acclaimed chamber music program for children on Roosevelt Island.
Nancy has lectured on music at the Smithsonian Institution, Florida State University and George Mason University, and is a popular piano pedagogy clinician. She has written for American Music Teacher, Keyboard Companion and ClavierMagazine. Her publications include The Piano Student's Guide to Effective Practicing, the Parents’ Guide to Effective Practicing, Practicing the Piano, and a set of elementary piano trios after John Gay’s The Beggars Opera, all published by Hal Leonard Corporation.
Vanessa Cornett-Murtada, Clinician
Dr. Vanessa Cornett is the Director of Keyboard Studies and Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis–St. Paul. She teaches piano performance and courses through the Graduate Programs in Music Education, including elementary and intermediate piano pedagogy, keyboard literature, performance anxiety management for musicians, and contemplative practices in music education.
She is author of the book The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance (Oxford University Press, 2019). Her other publications include papers in the Journal of Transformative Education, Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, College Music Symposium, American Music Teacher, the MTNA eJournal, Clavier Companion, The Canadian Music Teacher / Le Professeur de Musique Canadien, and three chapters in the fourth edition of the textbook Creative Piano Teaching. An editor for the Piano Magazine (formerly Clavier Companion), she oversees the magazine’s regular column on musician health and wellness.
An international clinician, Dr. Cornett has presented workshops and masterclasses in twenty of the United States and in fourteen countries on six continents, including invitations to Ireland, Finland, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Argentina, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 2019 she completed a faculty residency in Turkey through the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. She is an active clinician for national conferences of the Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the College Music Society. She has also presented at the World Piano Conference, International Society of Music Education World Congress, International Conference on Spirituality and Music Education, International Conference of the Arts in Society, Annual Symposium of the Performing Arts Medical Association, the Centre for the Study of International Governance, and at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
She is a member of the Committee on Wellness for the Pianist for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the College Music Society Committee on Musician’s Health, and the Wellness Forum for the Minnesota Music Teachers Association. A member of the Performing Arts Medicine Association, she was appointed to the PAMA/NASM Psychological Health Task Force. She received outstanding teaching awards from the Music Academy of North Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and in 2018 was honored with the UNCG Distinguished Alumni Award.
Dr. Cornett obtained the DMA degree in piano performance and literature from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned her BM degree in piano performance and MM degree in piano pedagogy from West Virginia University, and the graduate certificate in sport psychology from the California Southern University School of Behavioral Sciences. She is a certified meditation instructor with an interest in mindfulness and performance anxiety management for musicians. Her current research focuses on contemplative practices, sport psychology, peak performance, and the mental health of musicians.
She is author of the book The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance (Oxford University Press, 2019). Her other publications include papers in the Journal of Transformative Education, Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, College Music Symposium, American Music Teacher, the MTNA eJournal, Clavier Companion, The Canadian Music Teacher / Le Professeur de Musique Canadien, and three chapters in the fourth edition of the textbook Creative Piano Teaching. An editor for the Piano Magazine (formerly Clavier Companion), she oversees the magazine’s regular column on musician health and wellness.
An international clinician, Dr. Cornett has presented workshops and masterclasses in twenty of the United States and in fourteen countries on six continents, including invitations to Ireland, Finland, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Argentina, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 2019 she completed a faculty residency in Turkey through the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. She is an active clinician for national conferences of the Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the College Music Society. She has also presented at the World Piano Conference, International Society of Music Education World Congress, International Conference on Spirituality and Music Education, International Conference of the Arts in Society, Annual Symposium of the Performing Arts Medical Association, the Centre for the Study of International Governance, and at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
She is a member of the Committee on Wellness for the Pianist for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the College Music Society Committee on Musician’s Health, and the Wellness Forum for the Minnesota Music Teachers Association. A member of the Performing Arts Medicine Association, she was appointed to the PAMA/NASM Psychological Health Task Force. She received outstanding teaching awards from the Music Academy of North Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and in 2018 was honored with the UNCG Distinguished Alumni Award.
Dr. Cornett obtained the DMA degree in piano performance and literature from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned her BM degree in piano performance and MM degree in piano pedagogy from West Virginia University, and the graduate certificate in sport psychology from the California Southern University School of Behavioral Sciences. She is a certified meditation instructor with an interest in mindfulness and performance anxiety management for musicians. Her current research focuses on contemplative practices, sport psychology, peak performance, and the mental health of musicians.
Julie Knerr Hague, Clinician
Dr. Julie Knerr Hague teaches piano at her home studio in Windsor, Connecticut.
Julie taught applied piano, piano pedagogy, and group piano as a faculty member at the University of Missouri, Oklahoma City University, and Ohio University, and the Hartt Community Division.
She holds a PhD in Music Education with an Emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, where her dissertation on elementary level piano technique was nominated for the Best PhD Dissertation Award in 2006. Additional degrees include MM degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Dr. Knerr studied piano and harpsichord; and a BM in Piano Performance from the University of Puget Sound. Her mentors in Piano Pedagogy include Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Christos Tsitsaros, and Reid Alexander.
Julie is the coauthor, with Katherine Fisher, of the Piano Safari Method, an innovative curriculum for beginning pianists.
An avid interest in finding lost gems of the piano teaching repertoire has led to Dr. Hague’s latest creation, a searchable, leveled database of piano repertoire called pianorep.com, which is set to launch in March of 2021.
Julie taught applied piano, piano pedagogy, and group piano as a faculty member at the University of Missouri, Oklahoma City University, and Ohio University, and the Hartt Community Division.
She holds a PhD in Music Education with an Emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, where her dissertation on elementary level piano technique was nominated for the Best PhD Dissertation Award in 2006. Additional degrees include MM degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Dr. Knerr studied piano and harpsichord; and a BM in Piano Performance from the University of Puget Sound. Her mentors in Piano Pedagogy include Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Christos Tsitsaros, and Reid Alexander.
Julie is the coauthor, with Katherine Fisher, of the Piano Safari Method, an innovative curriculum for beginning pianists.
An avid interest in finding lost gems of the piano teaching repertoire has led to Dr. Hague’s latest creation, a searchable, leveled database of piano repertoire called pianorep.com, which is set to launch in March of 2021.
Ellen Harrison, OhioMTA Commissioned Composer of the Year
Ellen Ruth Harrison, a composer of lyrical, vividly colored music, lives in Cincinnati, OH, where she teaches at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. In addition to instrumental solo and chamber music, she writes frequently for voice. Melody figures prominently in her work, as does her concern for color and gently shifting harmonies.
Harrison’s music has received numerous awards from organizations such as the American Guild of Organists, the Fromm Music Foundation, the IBLA European International Music Foundation, the International Alliance for Women in Music, the Jacob K. Javits Foundations, and the Ohio Arts Council. Her works have been widely performed both in the United States and abroad by a diverse range of performers such as Cincinnati Camerata, the Cincinnati Symphony Chamber Players, concert:nova, Earplay, the Empyrean Ensemble, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Lydian String Quartet, Octagon, Parnassus, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and Voices of Change. The San Francisco Chronicle has called her music “stunning” and full of “sophisticated ensemble writing’; and the Boston Globe has described it as having “a very, very quick series of contrasting moods and atmospheres, which gives it a lot of texture and beauty, and it has a deep sonic realm.”
Harrison earned her doctorate in composition from the University of California, Berkeley. She spent two years studying in Paris supported by U.C. Berkeley's Prix de Paris and also earned an Artist’s Diploma from the Stuttgart Musikhochschule and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her music is available on Albany and Emeritus Records.
Harrison’s music has received numerous awards from organizations such as the American Guild of Organists, the Fromm Music Foundation, the IBLA European International Music Foundation, the International Alliance for Women in Music, the Jacob K. Javits Foundations, and the Ohio Arts Council. Her works have been widely performed both in the United States and abroad by a diverse range of performers such as Cincinnati Camerata, the Cincinnati Symphony Chamber Players, concert:nova, Earplay, the Empyrean Ensemble, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Lydian String Quartet, Octagon, Parnassus, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and Voices of Change. The San Francisco Chronicle has called her music “stunning” and full of “sophisticated ensemble writing’; and the Boston Globe has described it as having “a very, very quick series of contrasting moods and atmospheres, which gives it a lot of texture and beauty, and it has a deep sonic realm.”
Harrison earned her doctorate in composition from the University of California, Berkeley. She spent two years studying in Paris supported by U.C. Berkeley's Prix de Paris and also earned an Artist’s Diploma from the Stuttgart Musikhochschule and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her music is available on Albany and Emeritus Records.
Jessica Madsen, Clinician
Pianist Jessica L. Madsen is an active soloist and chamber musician with a Master of Music degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She was a featured artist at the 2001 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Convention in Washington, D.C., performing Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, his magnum opus. A new music specialist, Madsen has lectured on women composers and modern piano literature and technique, and has worked with several composers including Rzewski, George Crumb, Emma Lou Diemer, and Cincinnati composers Mark Louis Lehman and Ellen Harrison. Madsen is the founding member of the Rookwood Chamber Players, which performs regularly in the Cincinnati area and throughout the Midwestern United States. Her duo partners include the Principal Violist of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, as well as string players from the Cincinnati Symphony and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestras, and the flutist of the new music ensemble, Conundrum. Career highlights include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in a concert tour of Japan with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble, concerto soloist with orchestras in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, and chamber music recitals in Taiwan, Hungary, and throughout the United States.
Jessica Madsen is on the piano faculty of the CCM Preparatory Department and owns and operates the Rookwood Piano Studio in Cincinnati. She is the Director of the biennial Tri-State Piano Concerto Competition for young pianists in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, and the Chair of the MTNA Composition Competition for the State of Ohio. Madsen previously served on the Piano faculty at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, 2004 – 2013, the piano faculty of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, 2011 – 2013, and on the Music Theory faculty at the University of Northern Kentucky, 2011. In 1996, she served as Director of the American Qualifying Round of the 2nd International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz, at CCM. She is thrilled to premiere a new work by her dear friend and colleague, Ellen Harrison.
Jessica Madsen is on the piano faculty of the CCM Preparatory Department and owns and operates the Rookwood Piano Studio in Cincinnati. She is the Director of the biennial Tri-State Piano Concerto Competition for young pianists in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, and the Chair of the MTNA Composition Competition for the State of Ohio. Madsen previously served on the Piano faculty at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, 2004 – 2013, the piano faculty of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, 2011 – 2013, and on the Music Theory faculty at the University of Northern Kentucky, 2011. In 1996, she served as Director of the American Qualifying Round of the 2nd International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz, at CCM. She is thrilled to premiere a new work by her dear friend and colleague, Ellen Harrison.
Andrew Higgins, Clinician
Andrew Higgins joined Alfred Publishing in 1996, which coincided with his discovery of the pedagogical insights of the late Dr Amanda Vick-Lethco in the now classic Alfred’s Basic Piano Library. Her all-encompassing holistic approach focussing on the ‘pianist as musician’, inspired him to develop Dr Lethco’s ideas still further by incorporating improvising and memorising techniques into ABPL’s teaching philosophy. So much so, that when Dr Lethco attended one of his seminars, she confessed to having no idea that her books could be used
in such a creative way! Many of these ideas can be seen in his book
So You Want To Learn To Improvise published by Alfred in 2016.
Andrew now works extensively with Alfred Publishing in the UK, Europe and beyond, promoting their ideals of musicianship through Alfred’s Basic Piano Library with workshops and lectures, meeting with teachers, performers and their pupils, to discuss piano teaching techniques. Many teachers have remarked on the freedom and flexibility in his approach to music, and, while Andrew considers improvisation and composition an intrinsic aspect of making music in the 21st century, this is always underpinned by a clear emphasis on sound technique and musicality.
Andrew continues to compose using a progressive approach which takes advantage of contemporary and modernist styles (bi-tonality, ostinato, modal harmony) whilst reflecting on the forms and disciplines of earlier composers. The Three Celtic Legends published by Alfred Publishing are evocative tone pictures for the piano reflecting English Coastal Landscapes, and a collection of Etude Tableaux: Birds are among his most popular works. A new set of miniatures: Seasons was published in 2019.
in such a creative way! Many of these ideas can be seen in his book
So You Want To Learn To Improvise published by Alfred in 2016.
Andrew now works extensively with Alfred Publishing in the UK, Europe and beyond, promoting their ideals of musicianship through Alfred’s Basic Piano Library with workshops and lectures, meeting with teachers, performers and their pupils, to discuss piano teaching techniques. Many teachers have remarked on the freedom and flexibility in his approach to music, and, while Andrew considers improvisation and composition an intrinsic aspect of making music in the 21st century, this is always underpinned by a clear emphasis on sound technique and musicality.
Andrew continues to compose using a progressive approach which takes advantage of contemporary and modernist styles (bi-tonality, ostinato, modal harmony) whilst reflecting on the forms and disciplines of earlier composers. The Three Celtic Legends published by Alfred Publishing are evocative tone pictures for the piano reflecting English Coastal Landscapes, and a collection of Etude Tableaux: Birds are among his most popular works. A new set of miniatures: Seasons was published in 2019.
Emely Phelps, Clinician
Recently appointed Artist-Teacher of Piano at Ohio University, pianist Emely Phelps enjoys a multifaceted career as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Praised by the Boston Globe for her “fleet, energetic, and bright-toned” playing, Emely made her solo orchestral debut with the National Symphony Orchestra as the grand prizewinner of their Young Soloists Competition, and has since been a featured soloist with the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, Little River Symphony, McLean Symphony, and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. She has presented solo recitals throughout North America and Europe, with annual appearances in New York and Boston beginning in 2016, and additional highlights including recitals at Slot Schagen and Muiderslot in the Netherlands, Strathmore Hall’s Music in the Mansion Series, Banff Centre for the Arts, the Alden Theater, Meredith College, and Glen Eyrie.
From 2008-2016, Emely was the pianist of Trio Cleonice, with whom she performed in more than 15 states, toured Europe - including a recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam - and won second prize at the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China. The group also served as the Graduate Piano Trio-in-Residence at New England Conservatory from 2011-2014, actively highlighted piano trios of the 20thand 21st centuries - including a trio written for the group by Richard Wernick, and for 2 ½ years curated a monthly chamber music series, Trio Cleonice and Friends, in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Besides her work with Trio Cleonice, Emely has also appeared as a guest artist with the Borromeo String Quartet and has attended numerous chamber music festivals, including five summers at Yellow Barn, three summers at Kneisel Hall, and two summers at Banff, as well as the International Holland Music Sessions and Four Seasons Winter Workshop. She currently maintains active duo partnerships with violist Jonathan Bagg and flutist Hannah Porter Occeña, and performs regularly with Electric Earth concerts.
Emely currently teaches applied piano and keyboard repertoire at Ohio University, and heads the graduate collaborative piano degree program at the school. Prior to her appointment at OU, she was the head piano TA at Stony Brook University, teaching for and managing their undergraduate piano program. Emely has also been on the faculties of both the Yellow Barn Young Artists Program and the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, and will be teaching at Icicle Creek’s Young Pianists Camp this summer. She has maintained private teaching studios in New York and Boston for over a decade, was a member of the piano faculty at The Geneva Conservatory of Music in Manhattan from 2008-2010, and has coached chamber music at New England Conservatory’s Preparatory Division and Stony Brook University.
A native of Frederick, Maryland, Emely studied with Carole Kriewaldt and Marjorie Lee before receiving her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School as a student of Julian Martin. She also studied with Vivian Weilerstein during Trio Cleonice’s tenure at NEC, receiving a Graduate Diploma in chamber music. Emely is currently completing her doctoral studies at Stony Brook University with Christina Dahl.
From 2008-2016, Emely was the pianist of Trio Cleonice, with whom she performed in more than 15 states, toured Europe - including a recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam - and won second prize at the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China. The group also served as the Graduate Piano Trio-in-Residence at New England Conservatory from 2011-2014, actively highlighted piano trios of the 20thand 21st centuries - including a trio written for the group by Richard Wernick, and for 2 ½ years curated a monthly chamber music series, Trio Cleonice and Friends, in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Besides her work with Trio Cleonice, Emely has also appeared as a guest artist with the Borromeo String Quartet and has attended numerous chamber music festivals, including five summers at Yellow Barn, three summers at Kneisel Hall, and two summers at Banff, as well as the International Holland Music Sessions and Four Seasons Winter Workshop. She currently maintains active duo partnerships with violist Jonathan Bagg and flutist Hannah Porter Occeña, and performs regularly with Electric Earth concerts.
Emely currently teaches applied piano and keyboard repertoire at Ohio University, and heads the graduate collaborative piano degree program at the school. Prior to her appointment at OU, she was the head piano TA at Stony Brook University, teaching for and managing their undergraduate piano program. Emely has also been on the faculties of both the Yellow Barn Young Artists Program and the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, and will be teaching at Icicle Creek’s Young Pianists Camp this summer. She has maintained private teaching studios in New York and Boston for over a decade, was a member of the piano faculty at The Geneva Conservatory of Music in Manhattan from 2008-2010, and has coached chamber music at New England Conservatory’s Preparatory Division and Stony Brook University.
A native of Frederick, Maryland, Emely studied with Carole Kriewaldt and Marjorie Lee before receiving her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School as a student of Julian Martin. She also studied with Vivian Weilerstein during Trio Cleonice’s tenure at NEC, receiving a Graduate Diploma in chamber music. Emely is currently completing her doctoral studies at Stony Brook University with Christina Dahl.
Stephen Pierce, Clinician
South African pianist, Dr. Stephen Pierce enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, teacher, presenter, and researcher. At the University of Southern California (USC) he serves as Director of Secondary Piano and Keyboard Pedagogy and teaches applied piano, and courses in piano pedagogy and keyboard literature. Pierce previously taught at the University of Northern Colorado, and Oberlin Conservatory and is on faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp each summer. He was second prizewinner of the National Piano Competition in South Africa and his performances have been broadcast on South African television and radio. He has presented at conferences such as the MTNA National conference, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), and published in the journals including, American Music Teacher, Clavier Companion, Piano Pedagogy Forum, and The South African Music Teacher. He currently serves as editor of CAPMT Connect, the official journal of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) and is the CAPMT Vice President for Conferences, and Collegiate Chapter State chair. In addition, Pierce is also member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), and RCM Regional Representative for Southern California. Pierce earned Bachelor and Honors degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, two licentiates of music from the University of South Africa, and Master and Doctoral degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music.
Matthew Shaftel, Clinician
Dr. Matthew Shaftel is currently Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University, where he has focused on helping Ohio to share and develop its distinctive role in the Arts and community transformation in the region, state, and well beyond. He has previously served as Dean of the Westminster College of the Arts at Rider University and the administrator of the Princeton campus, which included the Grammy award winning Westminster Choir College. Shaftel also served as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Florida State University, where he led the development of a signature general-education program, Liberal Studies for the 21st Century. He received three degrees from Yale University.
Highly active as a teacher, scholar, and musician, he has won three university-wide teaching awards and was a quarterfinalist for two national awards. Dr. Shaftel has published numerous articles and books, including a textbook published by Oxford University Press. His award-winning volume on Cole Porter, coedited with Susan Weiss and Don Randel, was released in 2016 by the University of Illinois Press, and a volume on opera is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. He acted as Editor for two journals: MTO-A Journal of the Society for Music Theory and College Music Symposium and is currently the Publications Chair for the Society for Music Theory. He is immediate past president of Music Theory Southeast and the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras. Dr. Shaftel also has a great deal of practical experience as a performer. He has given recitals and master classes throughout North America and parts of Europe and spent six years as the founding director of the Asolo Song Festival and Institute for Song Interpretation, which took place in northern Italy. He has been active as a church musician for more than two decades and has served on numerous community and not-for-profit boards.
Highly active as a teacher, scholar, and musician, he has won three university-wide teaching awards and was a quarterfinalist for two national awards. Dr. Shaftel has published numerous articles and books, including a textbook published by Oxford University Press. His award-winning volume on Cole Porter, coedited with Susan Weiss and Don Randel, was released in 2016 by the University of Illinois Press, and a volume on opera is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. He acted as Editor for two journals: MTO-A Journal of the Society for Music Theory and College Music Symposium and is currently the Publications Chair for the Society for Music Theory. He is immediate past president of Music Theory Southeast and the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras. Dr. Shaftel also has a great deal of practical experience as a performer. He has given recitals and master classes throughout North America and parts of Europe and spent six years as the founding director of the Asolo Song Festival and Institute for Song Interpretation, which took place in northern Italy. He has been active as a church musician for more than two decades and has served on numerous community and not-for-profit boards.
Christopher Fisher, Clinician
Dr. Christopher Fisher is Professor of Piano at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where he chairs the Keyboard Division and directs the graduate piano performance and pedagogy degree programs. He also serves as Assistant Director of the Ohio University School of Music and is Director of Studies for the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College Music Program. Recognized for his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Fisher was awarded the 2019 Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar distinction and was the 2010 recipient of the Ohio Music Teachers Association Collegiate Teacher of the Year Award and the Ohio University School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. Fisher is the author of Teaching Piano in Groups (Oxford University Press, 2010), the only comprehensive group piano pedagogy textbook of its kind. A Chinese translation of Teaching Piano in Groups is also available. Dr. Fisher is the co-author of the revised and expanded edition of Piano Duet Repertoire (Indiana University Press, 2016). He has published in leading keyboard journals including Keyboard Companion, American Music Teacher, Clavier, and Clavier Companion. He is a contributing composer for the innovative piano method, Piano Safari (www.pianosafari.com), which is used by piano teachers and students around the globe. His educational compositions are published by Alfred Music and Piano Safari.
In demand as a workshop clinician, Dr. Fisher has presented lectures nationally and internationally, including the National Conferences of the Music Teachers National Association (Washington, D.C., 2001; Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2007; Atlanta, 2009; San Antonio, Texas, 2016; Orlando, Florida, 2018), the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (Lombard, Illinois, 2013, 2017, 2019), the Music & Drama Education Expo (London, England, 2018), the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (Norman, Oklahoma, 2006; Austin, Texas, 2010), the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference (Canberra, Australia, 2008), Encontro Internacional de Pianistas de Piracicaba (Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2016), The Curious Piano Teachers Live Conferences (Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2018 and Oxford, England, 2018) and the American Music Therapy Association (Orlando, Florida, 2005). He has served as a guest lecturer and artist at leading universities and conservatories across the U.S. including recent engagements at The Juilliard School in New York and the University of Oxford (UK).
As a performing artist, Dr. Fisher frequently plays both solo and collaborative recitals, including duet and duo piano performances with wife, pianist Katherine Fisher. The Fisher Piano Duo was awarded first prize in the Adult Duo Division of the Graves Piano and Organ Company/OhioMTA Piano Competition in 2007. As a recording artist, Dr. Fisher can be heard on the MSR Classics label (Samplings: New Music for Bassoon and Piano; MS1547).
Dr. Fisher is an active member of Music Teachers National Association and has served as Vice-President for Conferences and Vice-President for Membership for the Ohio Music Teachers Association; he presently serves as Collegiate Chapter Chair. He is the faculty advisor for the Ohio University Collegiate Chapter of MTNA, which was the recipient of the 2015 MTNA Benjamin Whitten Collegiate Chapter Award. Dr. Fisher maintains a studio of pre-college students who have been successful at state and regional piano competitions and festivals. He frequently serves as jury member and master class clinician at piano festivals and competition throughout the United States and abroad, including the MTNA-Stecher & Horowitz Two Piano Competition, the OHIO International Piano Duet and Duo Competition, and the United States Virtuoso Artists International Piano Competition.
Devoted to connecting young people with the transformative power of classical music, Dr. Fisher founded and directs Project Inspirare (www.projectinspirare.org), with assistance from the Ohio University Collegiate Chapter of MTNA. Project Inspirare's mission is to cultivate a passion for classical music in current and future generations through special outreach and engagement initiatives.
A native of Missouri, Dr. Fisher holds degrees from Wichita State University and Northwest Missouri State University. He was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma where he was the recipient of the prestigious Alumni Graduate Fellowship. His piano and piano pedagogy teachers include Edward Gates, Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Julie Bees, Sylvia Coats, Richard Bobo, and Betty Preston.
Dr. Fisher resides in Albany, Ohio with his wife Katherine and their children Isaiah and Anna.
Christopher Fisher is a Yamaha Artist.
www.chrisfisherpiano.com
Dr. Fisher is the author of Teaching Piano in Groups (Oxford University Press, 2010), the only comprehensive group piano pedagogy textbook of its kind. A Chinese translation of Teaching Piano in Groups is also available. Dr. Fisher is the co-author of the revised and expanded edition of Piano Duet Repertoire (Indiana University Press, 2016). He has published in leading keyboard journals including Keyboard Companion, American Music Teacher, Clavier, and Clavier Companion. He is a contributing composer for the innovative piano method, Piano Safari (www.pianosafari.com), which is used by piano teachers and students around the globe. His educational compositions are published by Alfred Music and Piano Safari.
In demand as a workshop clinician, Dr. Fisher has presented lectures nationally and internationally, including the National Conferences of the Music Teachers National Association (Washington, D.C., 2001; Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2007; Atlanta, 2009; San Antonio, Texas, 2016; Orlando, Florida, 2018), the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (Lombard, Illinois, 2013, 2017, 2019), the Music & Drama Education Expo (London, England, 2018), the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (Norman, Oklahoma, 2006; Austin, Texas, 2010), the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference (Canberra, Australia, 2008), Encontro Internacional de Pianistas de Piracicaba (Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2016), The Curious Piano Teachers Live Conferences (Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2018 and Oxford, England, 2018) and the American Music Therapy Association (Orlando, Florida, 2005). He has served as a guest lecturer and artist at leading universities and conservatories across the U.S. including recent engagements at The Juilliard School in New York and the University of Oxford (UK).
As a performing artist, Dr. Fisher frequently plays both solo and collaborative recitals, including duet and duo piano performances with wife, pianist Katherine Fisher. The Fisher Piano Duo was awarded first prize in the Adult Duo Division of the Graves Piano and Organ Company/OhioMTA Piano Competition in 2007. As a recording artist, Dr. Fisher can be heard on the MSR Classics label (Samplings: New Music for Bassoon and Piano; MS1547).
Dr. Fisher is an active member of Music Teachers National Association and has served as Vice-President for Conferences and Vice-President for Membership for the Ohio Music Teachers Association; he presently serves as Collegiate Chapter Chair. He is the faculty advisor for the Ohio University Collegiate Chapter of MTNA, which was the recipient of the 2015 MTNA Benjamin Whitten Collegiate Chapter Award. Dr. Fisher maintains a studio of pre-college students who have been successful at state and regional piano competitions and festivals. He frequently serves as jury member and master class clinician at piano festivals and competition throughout the United States and abroad, including the MTNA-Stecher & Horowitz Two Piano Competition, the OHIO International Piano Duet and Duo Competition, and the United States Virtuoso Artists International Piano Competition.
Devoted to connecting young people with the transformative power of classical music, Dr. Fisher founded and directs Project Inspirare (www.projectinspirare.org), with assistance from the Ohio University Collegiate Chapter of MTNA. Project Inspirare's mission is to cultivate a passion for classical music in current and future generations through special outreach and engagement initiatives.
A native of Missouri, Dr. Fisher holds degrees from Wichita State University and Northwest Missouri State University. He was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma where he was the recipient of the prestigious Alumni Graduate Fellowship. His piano and piano pedagogy teachers include Edward Gates, Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Julie Bees, Sylvia Coats, Richard Bobo, and Betty Preston.
Dr. Fisher resides in Albany, Ohio with his wife Katherine and their children Isaiah and Anna.
Christopher Fisher is a Yamaha Artist.
www.chrisfisherpiano.com
Katherine Fisher, Clinician
Katherine Fisher is on the faculty of the Athens Community Music School at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Her responsibilities include teaching private piano lessons as well as coordinating the Piano Safari Program (group lessons) for children who are beginners at the instrument.
Katherine Fisher is the co-author of the highly acclaimed Piano Safari® method (www.pianosafari.com), which is used by piano students and teachers around the globe. She is a member of the Fisher PIano Duo with husband Christopher Fisher. The duo has performed throughout the United States. Together, the Fishers have co-authored the revised and expanded edition of Piano Duet Repertoire (Indiana University Press, 2016).
Katherine is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, having most recently served as recording secretary for the OhioMTA. She presently serves in the capacity of Vice- President for Membership for the Southeast District of OhioMTA.
A native of Ohio, Katherine received her degrees from the University of Oklahoma (Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy) and the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance). Her former teachers include Jeongwon Ham, Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Karin R. Edwards, and Nancy Bachus.
Katherine Fisher is a Yamaha Artist.
Katherine Fisher is the co-author of the highly acclaimed Piano Safari® method (www.pianosafari.com), which is used by piano students and teachers around the globe. She is a member of the Fisher PIano Duo with husband Christopher Fisher. The duo has performed throughout the United States. Together, the Fishers have co-authored the revised and expanded edition of Piano Duet Repertoire (Indiana University Press, 2016).
Katherine is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, having most recently served as recording secretary for the OhioMTA. She presently serves in the capacity of Vice- President for Membership for the Southeast District of OhioMTA.
A native of Ohio, Katherine received her degrees from the University of Oklahoma (Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy) and the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance). Her former teachers include Jeongwon Ham, Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Karin R. Edwards, and Nancy Bachus.
Katherine Fisher is a Yamaha Artist.
Rhonda Boyle, Clinician |
Rhonda Boyle, (Melbourne, Australia), studied piano as a child but her small hands discouraged her from pursuing a career in music. After gaining tertiary qualifications in science, environmental science and urban planning she pursued a career in the Victorian state government, working in metropolitan planning, environmental science and policy development.
Rhonda returned to the piano in 1999 as a student of Robert Chamberlain. She stumbled across Steinbuhler keyboards on the Internet at the start of 2007 and acquired a DS5.5® keyboard for her piano in 2009. She has since been involved in research relating to hand size and piano playing, presenting at conferences in Australia, USA and Europe and contributing articles to various magazines.
In 2011 she set up the website smallpianokeyboards.org devoted to sharing information on research and developments relating to alternatively sized piano keyboards. In 2013 she co-founded the world-wide advocacy network PASK (Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards) with Erica Booker (Sydney teacher) and Professor Carol Leone (SMU, Texas). She now coordinates PASK activities, which encompass a website (paskpiano.org), social and professional media, YouTube channel and mailing list.
Rhonda is a director of the DS Standard Foundation Inc. In 2019, she was named as one of Australia’s 100 most influential women by the Australian Financial Review.
Rhonda returned to the piano in 1999 as a student of Robert Chamberlain. She stumbled across Steinbuhler keyboards on the Internet at the start of 2007 and acquired a DS5.5® keyboard for her piano in 2009. She has since been involved in research relating to hand size and piano playing, presenting at conferences in Australia, USA and Europe and contributing articles to various magazines.
In 2011 she set up the website smallpianokeyboards.org devoted to sharing information on research and developments relating to alternatively sized piano keyboards. In 2013 she co-founded the world-wide advocacy network PASK (Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards) with Erica Booker (Sydney teacher) and Professor Carol Leone (SMU, Texas). She now coordinates PASK activities, which encompass a website (paskpiano.org), social and professional media, YouTube channel and mailing list.
Rhonda is a director of the DS Standard Foundation Inc. In 2019, she was named as one of Australia’s 100 most influential women by the Australian Financial Review.
Eliana Yi, Clinician
Eliana Yi, 23, (B.M. '19, M.M. '21) began her piano studies at the age of five and cello at age ten. She has over seven years of experience in teaching piano and cello and has been giving lessons in the Dallas area for the last four years. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Eliana participated in various musical organizations such as Austin Youth Orchestra where she played the piano, cello and harpsichord. She has also been a part of TSIPF in San Marcos, ADMTA festivals and competitions, Regions Orchestra, All-City, AISD Solo and Ensemble, UIL Solo and Ensemble, State Solo and Ensemble, CHAMPS (Chamber Music for Public Schools), CMFW (Classical Music for the World) and an internship program under Graham Reynolds (composer/bandleader) through MINDPOP. In 2013, she participated in a music exchange program with Zwickau Conservatory in Germany.
Eliana is a graduate student and teaching fellow currently attending Meadows School of the Arts with a M.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. She has also graduated from Meadows with a B.M. in Piano Performance with a Pedagogy emphasis. She specializes on practicing and performing on the three ergonomic keyboard sizes that SMU offers (5.5”, 6.0”, 6.5”), a keyboard designed for people with smaller hands. She has had ensemble experience with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra playing cello. She studies under pianist Carol Leone (D.M.A.). She is a certified DMTA private piano instructor with the Music So Simple studios located in Richardson. Her students have participated in festival and recitals around the Dallas area.
Eliana is a graduate student and teaching fellow currently attending Meadows School of the Arts with a M.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. She has also graduated from Meadows with a B.M. in Piano Performance with a Pedagogy emphasis. She specializes on practicing and performing on the three ergonomic keyboard sizes that SMU offers (5.5”, 6.0”, 6.5”), a keyboard designed for people with smaller hands. She has had ensemble experience with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra playing cello. She studies under pianist Carol Leone (D.M.A.). She is a certified DMTA private piano instructor with the Music So Simple studios located in Richardson. Her students have participated in festival and recitals around the Dallas area.
