As a teaching assistant (violin and orchestra) at the University of Kansas, Yiming “Joey” Zhou earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance in 2021. As the Principal Second Violin of the University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Carolyn Watson, Dr. Zhou won two national-level prizes in the year 2020: the American Prize in …
The critics have praised pianist Vladimir Valjarevic for his “caressing legato,” “silk-on-velvet seductiveness” (Fanfare Magazine), “beautiful lyricism and … wide variety of tones and colorings, perceptively applied with care” (All Music Guide). He has also been called “an outstandingly responsive partner and superb tonalist” (The Strad). His performances have taken him to the National Center …
Chinese born British pianist Mengyang Pan began her piano studies in China, eventually becoming a junior student at the Central Conservatory of Music Beijing. Having been offered a full scholarship, she accepted an invitation to study at the Purcell School in the UK before completing her musical education at the Royal College of Music, London. …
Scott McBride Smith is a recognized leader in worldwide music education. As the Cordelia Brown Murphy Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the University of Kansas since 2010, he focuses on national issues of teacher training and piano pedagogy. As President and CEO of the International Institute for Young Musicians, he leads a summer program offering …
Michael Esch holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from Rice University where his teachers included Robert Roux and Jon Kimura Parker. His other major influences include his first teachers Rosemary Collins and Dorothy Morton, and extensive coachings with Rebecca Penneys, Lazar Berman and Anton Kuerti. Dr. Esch has been featured in …
Pianist Alejandro Avila was born in Asuncion, Paraguay, and began his piano studies at the age of 7. Concluding his conservatory studies in Asuncion, Alejandro was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree at São Paulo State University (UNESP), in Brazil, where he studied with renowned Brazilian professors …
Hailed by BBC Radio 3 as “a real poet of the piano,” American pianist Andrew Tyson is emerging as a distinctive and important new musical voice. In summer 2015, he was awarded First Prize at the Géza Anda Competition in Zürich, as well as the Mozart and Audience Prizes. These victories have resulted in numerous …
Dr. ChengGang Yang is a professor and vice-chair of piano department at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China. He began studying piano with his father, Yang HanGuo. He Later studied with Professor YangJun at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. In 1986, he was awarded the third prize in the annual Piano Competition of Central …
Pianist Reena Berger Natenberg made her Carnegie Hall recital debut as soloist and collaborator in January 2013. Additionally, she has performed as soloist and collaborator throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. These appearances include performances at the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Midday Concert Series, the House of …