Piano Performance

It seems to me that I have been studying piano performance all my life! Beginning with age 9 and until age 20, when I received my Soloist Diploma in Greece. Nine years of further studies in Vienna followed: by that time I had already several years concertizing and teaching behind me.

I cannot say that I have been a "protege": nothing like that. I was definitely very gifted (mostly in a "musical sense"), but I had to work very hard to acquire the technical skills needed for this career.

And then, by age 34, an offer form Kent State University (Ohio) came to complete my Masters studies there. So I did. And returned to Greece. Several years passed and I grew restless (one of my main characteristics!). So this time, and knowing the procedures, I applied to 13 Universities in the USA for my Doctoral studies in piano (DMA). As I was told, times "had changed" and financial assistance was not so easy to get. Anyhow, and never doubting that I could reach my goal, i applied. I received two very generous offers! Both were fellowships: from The University of Denton (Texas) and from The University of Iowa. The American center of Thessaloniki advised me to accept the Iowa offer: the place was described to me as a "cultural paradise in the midst of corn fields"! And so it proved to be!

I have loved my study years at The University of Iowa: by the time I entered as a doctoral student in piano I was 46! It was fun to be like friends/colleagues with faculty members and also extremely refreshing to go back to school and allow myself to be 'fooling around' with other students! Nothing can be more refreshing (at least to me) than to study at a later age! And work 12 hrs/day like crazy!!! Oh, yes, i forgot: by entering the piano section I decided i wanted to study composition as well! After receiving permission, I followed a double-study course of work towards a DMA in piano performance and amassers in composition. This decision was to change my life for good! Several years later, and after stopping my DMA studies for health reasons, i returned to the University of Iowa again: this time with a scholarship/assistanship to complete my PhD studies in composition!

I will be forever grateful to the piano faculty of the school of music-and especially to Uriel Tsachor, my piano professor: his ongoing understanding throughout the period of my transfer from the department of piano to the department of composition, helped me grow artistically in the most unique way.

On a separate web page, I will post a complete list of the piano repertoire i have studied and performed in public.