Summer Piano Institute

Grades: 8-12

Dates: June 23-29, 2024

A registration link for the Summer Piano Institute will be sent to applicants when they are notified of their acceptance. Please see below for application information.

The Summer Piano Institute at the Baylor School of Music provides an exciting opportunity for talented young piano students. An intensive week of study and varied musical experience is offered within the college environment of the Baylor campus. Students are housed in supervised residence halls and have the use of University practice and recreational facilities.

The Summer Piano Institute is open to rising 8th-12th graders. Musical activities for the week include private lessons, master classes and lecture-demonstrations with members of the Baylor piano faculty, theory classes, music technology and recording techniques, keyboard skills, accompanying, regular practice periods, and student and faculty recitals.

Application Information

Email the following to keyboard@baylor.edu prior to May 8:

Letter of Recommendation from your teacher
Link to your Recorded Audition
- Audition material should include two or more contrasting selections.
- Required Format: a public or unlisted link to a streaming service (YouTube) or a cloud service (Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, etc.). If the links are password protected, please be sure to include the appropriate information for access.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by June 1. All accepted students will be given a link to register for the camp at the time that they are notified of acceptance.

Cost

$650 (includes tuition, fees, dormitory, and meals)

The cost for commuting students is $460, including tuition and lunch.

Summer Piano Institute Faculty

Ms. Mary Bashara, Part-time Lecturer of Class Piano

Mary Bashara has served as Adjunct Instructor in Class Piano at Baylor University since 2006, and is the accompanist for Baylor Women’s Choir. In addition, Ms. Bashara has maintained a thriving private studio in Waco, working with students of all ages and levels. She has extensive experience as a collaborative pianist and currently accompanies the Midway Middle School Choirs. Ms. Bashara holds BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance from Baylor University, where she studied with Jane Abbott-Kirk.

Bradley Bolen, Senior Lecturer in Piano

Soloist, accompanist, and lecturer. Teaches private piano and group piano. Principal teachers include David Stokan and Nancy Garrett. Additional study with Claude Frank and Menahem Pressler. Arranged, composed, and recorded for the film The War at Home. Frequent adjudicator for piano contests and festivals throughout the U.S.

Dr. Michael Clark, Lecturer of Piano

Performer and teacher specializing in twentieth- and twenty-first-century repertoire. Has presented numerous lecture recitals on the piano music of Florence Price and released Waltzes and Character Pieces of Florence Price with Navona Records in February 2024. Founder of Piano Tricks, an online database of fingerings and redistributions for over 1000 passages from the piano repertoire. Has presented at major national conferences and published articles in top piano pedagogy journals.

Dr. Mariusz Drzewick, Guest Artist

Mariusz Drzewicki is a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He is the Head of the Piano Department at the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź. He has a rich concert career, performing in many countries across Europe and beyond. He has recorded several solo albums, including CDs with works by Chopin and Albeniz. He has also recorded for radio, television, and film. He has conducted masterclasses at many universities, including in Spain, Italy, Norway, Lithuania, Germany, and the USA. He serves as a juror for many piano competitions.

Dr. In-Ja Eshelman, Part-time Lecturer of Piano

Active performer and teacher. “Outstanding collaborator” (American Record Guide). Recital collaborations with leading international soloists; two album collaborations with husband Kent Eshelman. Has taught Applied Piano, Class Piano, Survey of Music Literature, Intro to Music, and Graduate Review. Taught previously at Northern Arizona University. Frequent adjudicator. D.M.A. and M.M., Michigan State University; B.M., Kyung-Hee University (South Korea).

Cameron Hofmann, Lecturer in Collaborative Piano

Collaborates frequently on concert series throughout the United States and Europe. Pianist for the North American Saxophone Alliance and National Flute Association national convention. Recordings on AUR, TimeGrabber Digital and Teal Creek Music. M.M and D.M.A from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Margo Garrett, Timothy Lovelace and Karl Paulnack.

Terry Lynn Hudson, Associate Professor of Piano and Director of Baylor in Austria

Performs as soloist, duo pianist, and vocal/instrumental collaborator. B.M., James Madison University; M.M., Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; D.M.A., The University of Texas at Austin. Piano study with Nancy Garrett, Elizabeth Pridonoff, Vicki Berneking, and Frederick Griesinger. MSR Classics recording artist; research published in American Music Teacher, College Music Symposium, and the MTNA E-Journal.

Lesley McAllister, Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Director of Keyboard Studies

Teaches piano pedagogy and performer wellness. Active as a writer, clinician, and adjudicator. Has published articles in American Music Teacher, MTNA E-Journal, and Piano Magazine, presented in national and international conferences, and authored the books The Balanced Musician and Yoga in the Music Studio (Oxford Press, 2020). B.M., University of Houston; M.M., Florida State University; and D.M.A. in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Rajung Yang, Part-Time Lecturer in Keyboard

Performs actively as soloist, collaborative pianist, and harpsichordist throughout the US and internationally. Recordings on Blue Griffin and Albany. Active adjudicator, lecturer, and clinician at various competitions and music festivals. BM and MM from Seoul National University (South Korea); MM and DMA from the University of Michigan.

Shijun Wang, Assistant Professor of Piano

International solo pianist and orchestral soloist. Visiting professor of Xi’an Conservatory; instructor at Puigcerda Music Festival in Spain and East/West International Piano Festival in South Korea. Winner of national and international prizes including first prize and audience prize in Crescendo Piano Competition. BM and MM, Juilliard School; DMA, Eastman School of Music. Piano study with Oxana Yablonskaya, Joseph Kalichstein, and Nelita True.