Piano Studio
While the program focuses on solo performance, it also emphasizes chamber music, collaborative piano, and teaching. The well-rounded curriculum prepares our graduates to make their way in today’s highly competitive music world.
Piano students have regular opportunities to play in weekly studio master classes and perform on weekly “Music at One” student recitals as they prepare for their degree recitals and juries. Along with individual lessons, as well as chamber music coaching, by their major studio teacher, students also receive coaching from other teachers in the music department. Moreover, many internationally acclaimed pianists visit the UAF Department of Music as part of the Fairbanks Symphony Concert Season, and Fairbanks Concert Association. These artists give recitals, lectures, and master classes, which are all available to our students. Recent guests have included Vladimir Feltsman, James Tocco, Natasha Paremski, Alexander Kobrin, Jerome Rose, and many others.
Resources
UAF Department of Music maintains grand pianos in all concert halls, studios, and practice rooms. Students benefit from extensive libraries containing music collections, CD’s and DVD recordings. UAF has the Charles Davis Concert Hall which is the only true concert hall in the state of Alaska, and has incredible acoustics for performances and recordings. Every four years, UAF is the host of the prestigious Alaska International Piano–e–Competition which brings world class pianists to the campus who compete to win more than $70,000 in prize moneys.
![Alaska International Piano-e-Competition Peter Friis Johansson, finalist and Winner of the Alaska International Piano-e_Competition, performs with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra during the final takes a bow after his finals performance round at the Davis Concert Hall. UAF Photo by JR Ancheta](/music/images/studios/piano/epiano-competition/JR-14-4236-98.jpg)
Performance opportunities
Every piano student studies solo and chamber music literature, collaborates with instrumentalists and/or singers, and performs in the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, and UAF Wind Ensemble. There are numerous performing opportunities on campus and beyond. Many piano students compete in the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra’s annual concerto competition, which offers the winners the opportunity to perform with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra on a subscription concert.
Our former students are presented in concerts and with orchestras in New York, Germany, China and Greece. Past students include Jamina Gerl ’11 MM who performs as a concert pianist in US and Europe, and Mallory Bernstein ’11 MM who is a teacher and an opera accompanist in Colorado.
![UAF Summer Music Academy piano Pianists during the 2017 UAF Summer Music Academy. UAF Photo by Sarah Manriquez](/music/images/studios/piano/5S2A0778.jpg)
Get Involved
Faculty
![Eduard Zilberkant](/music/images/faculty/ezikberkant.jpg)
Eduard Zilberkant
Professor
Department of Music
FAC 119
Piano, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra
Read more about Professor Zilberkant