Summer Piano Institute
Application Deadline Extended to April 15th
Grades: 8-12
Dates: June 21-27, 2026
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, masterclasses, theory classes, and presentations with members of the Baylor piano faculty. They are able to choose from elective classes in duo/duet repertoire, composition, jazz piano, music technology and recording techniques, keyboard skills, and collaborative skills. Students have the opportunity for regular practice periods, observe faculty and Baylor student recitals, and participate in student recitals.
Application Information
Email the following to keyboard@baylor.edu prior to April 15th, 2026:
- Letter of Recommendation from your teacher
- Link to your Recorded Audition
- Audition material should include two or more contrasting selections played from memory.
- 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 May 1. All accepted students will be given a link to register for the camp at the time that they are notified of acceptance.
Cost
Residential tuition (includes room and board* for 6 days/nights) is $680.
* meals begin with dinner on Sunday night and end with breakfast on Saturday morning.
Commuter tuition (includes lunch M-F) is $490.
New this year: Camp t-shirts are now included in this price rather than being an additional optional purchase!
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, Assistant Professor 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. In-Ja Eshelman, 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).
Mariusz Drzewicki
Mariusz Drzewicki is an acclaimed pianist, chamber musician, and pedagogue whose distinguished career has taken him to concert stages throughout Europe and beyond. He currently serves as Head of the Piano Department at the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, Poland. As a soloist and collaborative artist, he has appeared internationally in recital, festival, and orchestral performances, earning recognition for his interpretations of both the Romantic and Spanish piano repertoire. His discography includes critically regarded recordings of works by Chopin and Albéniz, and he has also recorded extensively for radio, television, and film. An active and sought-after educator, Drzewicki has presented masterclasses at universities and conservatories across Europe and the United States, including engagements in Spain, Italy, Norway, Lithuania, Germany, and the USA. He is regularly invited to serve on the juries of national and international piano competitions.
Shijun Wang, Associate 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.