Academy for Pianists - Kendall College of Arts and Sciences

Academy for Pianists

The University of Tulsa  Academy for Pianists is open to intermediate to advanced level piano students, grades 9-12. The camp is scheduled for June 5 – 9, 2023.  Students will work with TU piano faculty and attend seminars, workshops, and presentations designed to equip pianists with the necessary skills for a career in music or to simply enrich their lives through music performance and informed listening. The 2023 camp will feature a guest artist.

This five-day program also features performances by TU faculty, students, and alumni, plus plenty of opportunities to connect with other student musicians. Students younger than 9th grade will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The piano faculty at TU’s School of Music specializes in teaching:

    • Injury-free approaches to playing the piano
    • Performing music with technical freedom and beauty of tone production
    • Awareness of stylistic aspects of the repertoire
    • An emphasis on the characteristics of the various national schools of piano performance.

Camp Instructors

Faculty and performers for the camp include University of Tulsa faculty, alumni, and professional musicians whose careers as artist-teachers and performers are well-established and widely respected throughout the nation. Specific instructors will be announced at a later date. Current TU music students, winners of the Patty Johnson Wilson Pianist-Scholar award and the Parriott Scholarship, will also perform. Students will also have the opportunity to work with a guest artist.

Classes and Curriculum

Classes start at 9 a.m. each morning with a lunch break from noon to 12:50 p.m. Students are responsible for providing their own lunches.  Classes conclude at 5 p.m. The educational focus of the camp encompasses aspects of piano literature, professional piano skills, and chamber music. Students will participate in both private lessons and masterclasses with TU Faculty.

  • Location & Housing

    Location and Facilities

    The TU Academy for Pianists will be held on the campus of the University of Tulsa. All events will take place in the Lorton Performance Center, home of the TU School of Music.

    Housing

    Housing will NOT be available on the TU Campus.

  • Repertoire Requirements

    Student pianists should prepare two performance-ready pieces to work on during camp. One piece can be “in progress” as the first choice to work on in lessons and masterclasses with camp faculty.

  • Piano Competition

    On Wednesday, June 7 at 1:30 p.m., students registered for the TU Academy for Pianists will have the opportunity to participate in a piano competition. Students must perform, from memory, one piece (or one movement from a sonata/sonatina) from the standard concert repertoire. Cash prizes will be awarded. To register for the competition, please email dana-maher@utulsa.edu with the following information: your name, a contact phone number, your teacher’s name and contact information, and the name of the piece you will play for the competition.

  • Camp Fees & Registration

    Camp Fee

    • Tuition is $325. per student; due by May 4.
    • Discounted EARLY BIRD rate is $300., due before April 13.
    • After May 4, tuition is $350. per student.

    Camp Registration/Enrollment

    To enroll, complete the camp Registration Form and submit payment online. See above for information regarding the special Early Bird Enrollment Discount. Full payment is due on or before May 4, for the TU Academy for Pianists. Limited scholarship assistance is available for qualifying students based on financial need.

    If you intend to pay with a check, please make it payable to TU Academy for Pianists, include the student’s name in the memo line, and mail it to:

    TU Academy for Pianists
    School of Music
    The University of Tulsa
    800 South Tucker Drive
    Tulsa, OK 74104

    For more information, please contact Dana Maher.