About the Junior Artist Intensive
Summer Music Camp in the Colorado Rockies || Ages 10 – 18
Level I: Ages 10-15 (An audition is NOT required for this level)
Level II: Ages 13-18* (An audition IS required for this level)
Accepting applications for violin; viola; cello; double bass; piano; composition.
In this two-week summer music camp for advanced high school musicians, students improve their musical skills and develop their unique voices through chamber ensembles, orchestra, performance classes, private lessons, audition preparation classes, workshops, musician wellness activities, and nature-based explorations.
Additionally, students collaborate to compose and premiere an original multi-disciplinary group composition for their final concert.
More Info
Tuition and Fees
Tuition (includes lodging and meals):
$3,500
Application Fee:
Early-Bird Deadline: $85 (non-refundable)
After Feb. 15th: $95 (non-refundable)
Piano Usage Fee:
$75 (only for piano majors)
Optional Fees:
Secondary instrument lessons fee: $175.
Bedding and bath linens: $150 (includes twin fitted and flat sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket, and a bath towel). Please note that laundry services are NOT available during this program.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: We accept the following forms of payment:
- Check (no extra fees)
- Please make checks out to Rocky Ridge Music and mail to 1128 Pine St., Boulder CO. 80302.
- An ACH Bank Transfer will incur a processing fee of 1% (not more than $10).
- Credit or Debit cards payments will incur a processing fee of 2.9% + $0.25.
Audition Requirements & Deadlines
Junior Artist Intensive applicants for Level II must submit an audition (or a portfolio for Composition majors) to complete their application for admission and be considered for merit scholarship or other financial aid. An audition should consist of two contrasting pieces or movements that best represent the applicant’s level and accomplishment.
It is recommended that composition applicants submit a recording on their preferred instrument, as well. Composition portfolios may consist of live or MIDI recordings, .pdf’s of scores (manuscript or computer-engraved) or works created in digital audio workstations.
**Parents – it is always best practice to consult with your child’s private lesson teacher during this process. Please contact us at bart@rockyridge.org or rrmc@rockyridge.org if you have any further questions.**
- Violin:
- Viola:
At least two years of private lessons.
Understanding of two octave major and minor scales and is comfortable with shifting in 3rd position
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 2-3.
- Cello:
At least two years of private lessons.
Understanding of two octave major and minor scales and is comfortable with shifting in 2nd and 3rd positions
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 2-3
- Double Bass:
At least one year of private lessons.
Understanding of two octave major and minor scales from 3 sharps through 2 flats
Student should be comfortable with shifting into 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 2 or 3 that utilizes whole, half, quarter, eighth and 16th notes.
- Piano
Examples of minimum requirements appropriate for this level (equivalent to Faber & Faber Piano Literature Book 4: Original Keyboard Classics) would be the following selections:
Bach: Prelude in CM from WTC Book 1, or a 2-part invention
Pescetti: Sonatina No. 6 in c minor Mvt. 3
Kuhlau: Sonatina op. 20 #1 in CM, 1st Mvt.
Chopin: Prelude op. 28 in e minor #4
Grieg: Waltz op. 12 #12 in a minor
Satie: Gnossienne #1, 3
Beethoven: Sonatina in Anh. 5 in FM
Clementi: a Sonatina from op. 36, First movement
Mozart Variations I and VI from “Ah, vous dirai je, maman”
Burgmuller: Tarantella op. 100
Khatchaturian: Album for children Vol. 1 #5
C.Ph.E.Bach: Solfeggietto
- Violin:
At Level II, the student has had 3-4 years of private lessons.
- Viola:
At least three years of private lessons.
Understanding of three octave major and minor scales and is comfortable with shifting to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions and with reading alto and treble clef.
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 4 and up or the following pieces: Hoffmeister Concerto, Telemann Concerto, or any of the Bach Cello Suites.
- Cello:
At least three years of private lessons.
Understanding of three octave major and minor scales and is comfortable with shifting up to 4th-6th positions, with the ability to read tenor clef.
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 4 and up or the following pieces: Dvorak Humoresque, Breval Sonata in C Major, Faure Elegy, or any of the Bach Cello Suites.
- Double Bass:
At least three years of private lessons
Understanding of two and/or three octave major and minor scales from at least 4 sharps to 4 flats and is comfortable with shifting up to thumb position, with the ability to read tenor clef.
Studying repertoire equivalent to Suzuki books 4 or 5 or movement of following pieces: Bottesini Concerto or Elegy, Dragonetti Concerto, Koussevitzky Concerto, etc (pieces of similar ability).
- Piano
At this level, the student has ideally had performance experience in recitals, and has some sight reading practice. They should be able to play scales hands together in both major and minor keys four octaves, and have learned to play arpeggios and chromatic scales. It is helpful if they are able to reach and comfortably play octaves and chords within an octave position.
The following repertoire is equivalent but not limited in difficulty to the following suggestions:
Bach: a movement from a French Suite
Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata Op. 27 #2 First movement
Chopin: Prelude op. 28 #9 in Db “Raindrop”
Mendelssohn: Songs without Words Op. 30 #6 in f# min.“Venetian Gondola Song”
Mozart: Fantasie in d minor KV. 397
Tcherepnin: Bagatelles op. 5
Debussy: Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum from Children’s Corner Suite, Arabesque, Claire de Lune
Audition tips for all instruments:
- Try to avoid using excerpts from orchestral music. Instead, select pieces that are part of the accepted repertoire for your instrument.
- As much as possible, your two pieces should contrast in tempo.
- Please submit a video recording or a YouTube link; audio-only recordings will not be accepted. Please ensure your links are viewable by other parties before submitting.
Daily Schedule
Here is a link to the daily schedule. Please understand that this schedule is subject to change.
Coming soon!
Student and Family Handbook
The handbook for this program, which contains important information and forms that need to be filled out and signed, can be found here.
Prerequisites
Please see Audition Requirements.
Location and Transportation
Rocky Ridge Music is located near the base of Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park. It is just off of Highway 7, about 4 miles south of Estes Park and 6 miles north of Allenspark.
Driving from Denver: From Denver, take I-25 North. Exit onto Highway 66 West until you get to Lyons. See below for further instructions.
Driving from Boulder: Take Highway 36 North until you get to Lyons. See below for further instructions.
At Lyons, take Highway 7 to Allenspark (left). From Highway 7, turn west onto Longs Peak Road, which is at mile marker 9. There is a sign there that says, “Longs Peak Area.” Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right. Total drive time from Denver International Airport to RRM is about 1.5 hours.
Driving from Northern Colorado: Driving west on Highway 34, you’ll drive through the Big Thompson Canyon and into Estes Park. At the big intersection, take Highway 7 South. At the sign that says “Longs Peak Area,” you will turn right onto Longs Peak Rd. Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right.
The Estes Park Shuttle is available from Denver International Airport to RRM. Students should contact the shuttle directly at 970-586-5151 or visit their website www.estesparkshuttle.com for current information and to make a reservation. Use the group code “RRMC” for a 10% discount!
Campus Map
Junior Artist FAQ
Will my child have a counselor during this program?
Yes! Counselors are selected from our College Intensive program. Counselors supervise, reside with, and mentor up to eight students during the Junior Artist Immersion.
When should I arrive for this program?
For youth programs, registration will take place until 1 p.m. We will provide lunch and parents are invited to stay for a brief orientation from 1pm-2pm.
Rocky Ridge offers optional airport assistance at Denver International for students in order to reach their shuttle to Estes Park. Please call our office (970-586-4031) or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any travel or transportation questions or concerns.
Where will I live on campus?
Our residential cabins are dorm-style with bunk beds; youth program students will reside with their counselor and 3-6 roommates. Bathhouses with showers are just a short walk away.
Check out our campus building gallery using the button below to see what our residential cabins look like.
Rocky Ridge welcomes and supports all Trans and Gender Non-Conforming students. If you are interested in optional alternative housing for your student, please contact us at rrmc@rockyridge.org or 970-586-4031.
Will I receive music in advance?
Each student will be assigned to a chamber ensemble and the program orchestra. It’s likely you will receive chamber music assignments in advance, however you may only receive your orchestra music on the first or second day of the program.
Do I need to bring bedding?
Rocky Ridge can provide you with bedding and towels for a $150 fee. Please indicate your interest in this option on your application. Otherwise, you are free to bring your own bedding or sleeping bag and towels. Please note that laundry services are NOT available during this program.
Do you screen your teachers before they work one-on-one with my child?
All of our teachers are professionally background-checked.
Sign Up
Deadline
Applications open: November 1, 2024 @ 12:00 a.m., Mountain Time (MT)
February 15, 2025: Early Bird Deadline, priority consideration of program spots and merit scholarships.
March 15, 2025: Final Deadline
After March 15, 2025: Applications accepted on a space-available basis. Please contact the office before submitting an application after this date.
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Faculty
Bartholomew Fortino-Shields
B.M., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Violinist, Bartholomew Frederick Fortino-Shields, hailed in The Baltimore Sun as “Amazing,” enjoys sharing the joy of music with all people. He performs regularly throughout the United States and Europe. In the winter of 2024, Bartholomew completed a recording project of Bartok’s Solo Sonata for Violin, Sz. 117 and Schubert’s Rondo Brillant D. 895 with pianist, Stefano Musso in Torino, Italy. He recently signed a recording contract with the London based Sheva Collection, where he and pianist Chan Mi Jean, will be recording at Studio Steinway Recording in Lincolnshire, England at the beginning of 2025. The Sheva Collection has been very favorably reviewed in Gramophone Magazine, BBC Music Magazine, Financial Times, and Naxos Music Library, among many others. In the past he has performed with notable musicians such as Judith Ingolfsson, Timothy Chooi, Ariel Horowitz, Gregory Lewis, Holly Nelson, Teresa Ling, Aisslinn Nosky, Evelyn Grau, Isaac Melamed, Arlen Hlusko and Chan Mi Jean.
Mr. Shields is a laureate of the 2024 Classic Violin Olympus International Competition where “…the world’s finest violinists showcase their talent and compete for top honors.” He performed at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome, Italy for jury members – Pavel Vernikov and Sarah Nemtanu, concertmaster of the Orchestre National de France, among other prestigious violinists. He was a recipient of the 2017 Garth Newel Music Center’s Emerging Artist Fellowship Program in Hot Springs, Virginia where he worked closely with the Parker String Quartet and the Garth Newel Piano Quartet. Bartholomew was the first prize winner in the intermediate division of the Beethoven Club’s 2015 Young Artist Competition in Memphis, TN. In 2013, he soloed with the Reading Symphony Orchestra playing the Conus Violin Concerto, as a prize winner of the Reading Symphony Orchestra League Competition. He was the first prize winner in the 2012 Allentown Symphony Voorhees Concerto Competition, winning with the Barber Violin Concerto, where he was then invited back for two solo performances at Symphony Hall, in Allentown, PA. In addition, the Reading Musical Foundation awarded Bartholomew the Katherine N. Quartner/Rita Quartner Herman Scholarship, Atonement Bach Scholarship, and the Elaine Bausher Post College Scholarship.
In the past, Mr. Shields has performed at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Brevard Music Center, Philadelphia International Music Festival and the MasterWorks Festival. At the age of 14 he was accepted into the violin studio of Sally Thomas of the Juilliard School. After finishing his high school studies with Ms. Thomas, he completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as a scholarship recipient, where he studied under Soh-Hyun Park Altino, teaching assistant to Donald Weilerstein. In May 2022, Bartholomew completed his Master of Music degree in Violin Performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he was a scholarship recipient of the Artistic Excellence Award, studying under Judith Ingolfsson. Recently, Mr. Shields completed an Advanced Specialization course in violin repertoire at Accademia di Musica di Pinerolo in Torino, Italy with Sonig Tchakerian.
Mr. Shields has a wide range of teaching experience with beginners, intermediate, to very advanced students who have come from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, Africa, and all throughout the United States. He is the founder and artistic director of the Vilacello String and Piano Festival and is the newly appointed program director and resident violin faculty at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado for the junior artists intensive program. He was a teaching assistant at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University pre-college program from 2020 – 2021 and a Teaching Artist with Play on Philly in 2023. He was also featured on Rob Landes’ Youtube channel, receiving over 10.5 million views. This past October Bartholomew gave a masterclass at the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Colorado, as well as a presentation at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Eva Kennedy
M.M., Cleveland Institute of Music
B.M., Cleveland Institute of Music
Violist Eva Kennedy has had a lifelong passion for chamber music ever since playing in her
very first quartet at the age of 7 in her hometown of Worthington, Ohio. As a founding member of the
Callisto Quartet, she has had the opportunity to perform some of classical music’s greatest repertoire
across North America and around the world. The Callisto Quartet has been internationally
recognized with major prizes from the Banff, Bordeaux, Melbourne, and Fischoff competitions, and
maintains an active performing schedule with appearances at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the
Kennedy Center, the Ravinia Festival, and many others. Eva holds Bachelor and Master of Music
degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as a Master’s degree from Rice University,
where she was in residence with the Callisto Quartet. She also spent a semester at the Paris
Conservatory as an exchange student. Her mentors have included Deborah Price, Jeffrey Irvine,
Sabine Toutain, Lynne Ramsey, and James Dunham.
Alongside her passion for performing, Eva also has a great love for teaching. This year, she
has found great joy in implementing a new chamber music curriculum developed by the Callisto
Quartet, designed to demystify the process behind great ensemble playing for students and help
them become their own best teachers. She has taught and given masterclasses for violinists,
violists, and chamber ensembles at numerous music schools, festivals, and universities across the
country.
Eva is Canadian through her father’s side and has both American and Canadian
citizenships. Outside of music, she enjoys rock climbing and traveling with her family.
Gregory Lewis
M.M., Yale University
B.M., University of Manitoba
Praised for his “brilliant technique” (Chronicle Journal) and “wonderful musical personality” (Winnipeg Free Press), Canadian violinist Gregory Lewis enjoys an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. Lewis has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Colburn Academy Virtuosi, Strathcona Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra. Named one of CBC’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30”, Lewis received First Prize at the 2017 Canadian National Music Festival and was selected as a winner of the 2023 Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank Competition.
In 2022, Lewis had the great privilege of joining the Callisto Quartet. In recent seasons, the Callisto Quartet has received Grand Prize at the 2018 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and Second Prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition. The Callisto Quartet maintains a busy international touring schedule, appearing at notable venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kauffman Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Ravinia Festival. The Callisto Quartet was in residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts from 2020-2022, and now serves as Fellowship Quartet in Residence at Yale University and Associate Artists in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium. The Callisto Quartet is managed exclusively by Kanzen Arts. Lewis’s passion for chamber music has led to performances at the Four Seasons, Norfolk, Olympic, Ravinia, and Yellow Barn music festivals. He holds degrees from the University of Manitoba, Yale University, and the Colburn School, where he studied with Oleg Pokhanovski, Chris Anstey, Ani Kavafian, and Martin Beaver. Lewis performs on the 1768 “Miller” Gagliano, on generous loan by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Ken Marrs
Master's in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Ken Marrs studied the double bass with Derek Weller, Stuart Sankey, Bruce Bransby and Lawrence Hurst. He holds a bachelor’s degree in choral and instrumental music education from Indiana University and a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Arizona. Ken has performed with the Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw Bay, Toledo, and Tucson Symphony Orchestras, the Arizona Opera Company as well as with True Concord. Ken has taught and performed with orchestras on four continents.
He teaches orchestra, concert band, and jazz band at Mica Mountain HS in Vail, AZ and directs the Vail Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Hannah Moses
M.M., Rice University
Praised for her sensitivity and beauty of sound, cellist Hannah Moses has performed worldwide both as a soloist and as a founding member of the Callisto Quartet. A Cleveland native, Moses holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where her teachers have included Richard Weiss, Melissa Kraut, and Norman Fischer. As cellist of the Callisto Quartet, Moses maintains an active concert schedule and has appeared at venues and festivals across the globe, including the Ravinia Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Heidelberg String Quartet Festival, and more. Callisto has garnered top prizes at many major international chamber music competitions, including Grand Prize at the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Second Prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, and prizes at the Bordeaux, Melbourne, and Wigmore Hall Competitions.
A committed educator, Moses assisted in creating a unique chamber music curriculum with the Callisto Quartet entitled “Chamber Music Deconstructed”, which has been successfully received in schools across the country. Additionally, Moses has served on cello faculty at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, Aurora School of Music, and the Westport Suzuki School, and appeared as guest artist and juror at the 2018 Tennessee Cello Workshop Competition, after winning the competition in 2015. Moses has been actively involved in chamber music coaching at CIM’s Young Artist Program, of which she is a graduate, and has served on summer faculty at Credo Chamber Music, Bravo International Music Festival, and the Hudson Montessori School Chamber Music Intensive. Currently, the Callisto Quartet is in residence at Yale University, where they mentor the undergraduate ensembles.
When not traveling with the Callisto Quartet, Moses enjoys running, cooking, and rock climbing. She currently resides in New Haven, CT, with her cat, Snickers.
Maggie Polk Olivo
Maggie Polk-Olivo wears multiple hats as a musical collaborator, composer, educator and performer. Passionate about music education and new music, she is the creator and director of the BloomingSongs project- a music collection of works by renowned artists from all over the world. She teaches and co-directs the Fairview Artful Learning Violin Project alongside Brenda Brenner while coordinating the school’s performing arts program. Awarded the IU Freshman Composition Competition, she studied music composition with P.Q.Phan, Sven-David Sandstrom, Don Freund, Claude Baker, and Marilyn Shrude at IU Jacobs School of Music. Recognized by the Music Educators National Conference and a National Young Composer Award semi-finalist in her youth, Olivo has since had music performed and commissioned by the Southwest String Quartet, Vera String Quartet, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Kim Carballo, Alejandra Martinez, and Sara Fraker.
In addition to composing, Olivo directs the IU JSOM’s Musical Beginnings and co-directs the Musical Arts Youth Organization’s Bridges, teaching music composition and chamber music. She is certified in the methodologies of John Feierabend, Musikgärten, Orff-Keetman Schulwerk, and Kodály Methodology. Maggie presents teacher-training workshops throughout the year and has been the recipient of Smithville, Puffin, and BUEA Foundation grants. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband and two children. In addition to creating music with and for others, she loves gardening and putting on shows with her kids.
Mari Tomizuka
Mari Tomizuka was raised in Tucson. As a student of Eugene Pridonoff, she received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree from Arizona State University. After a year studying and teaching undergraduate piano at the University of Miami, Florida, she accepted a teaching assistantship at New England Conservatory. Following the completion of her “modern piano” studies and Master’s Degree in Boston, she migrated to Europe to study with Stanley Hoogland and specialize in performance on historical instruments.
Since completing the post-graduate Certificate in Fortepiano from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Netherlands, Ms. Tomizuka has appeared as both a soloist and in chamber music with principal players from the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic of Flanders, Opera Orchestra of Antwerp, Stavanger Symphony of Norway, Amsterdam Ballet Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra of the Hague, and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. She has been invited as a soloist to appear in festivals such as York Early Music (England), the Holland Festival of Early Music, Festival of Flanders (Belgium), and the International Music Festival of Granollers (Spain). Ms. Tomizuka has been featured in countless recital series in Holland, and after 17 years of living abroad in the Netherlands, she returned to her native Tucson. Her CD with classical mandolin virtuoso Richard Walz, “Mandolin Treasures from the Golden Era”, is available at Amazon.com. Current projects include promoting music by Haitian composers.
As a member of the Tucson Music Teachers Association, she owns and manages the 17th Street Ear Palace – a space dedicated to soirees, lessons and masterclasses, sound recordings, recitals, and public explorations of other genres of music.
Timothy De Prey
B.M., University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Timothy De Prey, pianist, is excited to join the Rocky Ridge Music team. He has been a piano instructor at the faculty of MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis Minnesota since 1997. MacPhail is the largest community music school in the United States.
Timothy’s students participate in MacPhail’s Crescendo for Piano Program and throughout his teaching career his students have won many competitions including the Junior Honor’s Competition, the Honor’s Competition and the prestigious Concerto and Aria Competition. Timothy enjoys working with students of all ages and levels, but specifically enjoys students who are interested in a variety of repertoire and technical challenges. Although he teaches through traditional methods, Timothy incorporates pop and jazz genres if the students are interested. Nearly half of his students are beginning adults or adults who have returned to music. He incorporates technology into his teaching with video tutorials and YouTube samples. He also has students who take lessons exclusively OnLine. This year, (2024) Timothy was awarded the James Ericksen Professional Development Grant administered through MacPhail. The grant financially supports his new project of composing teaching repertoire for his students from age 5 – 75.
Timothy is an active performer in the Twin Cities and has performed on six MacPhail Faculty Spotlight Performances including “By George” – the music of George Gershwin, “Flirting with Sondheim” and most recently “It Takes Two” – a review of Broadway’s most celebrated duets. In addition to his work at MacPhail, Timothy has been the principal accompanist for the well-respected Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus since 1991. As pianist for the chorus Timothy has had the opportunity to work with Michael Feinstein, Ann Hampton Callaway, Holly Near and Harvey Fierstein. Timothy can be heard on all 16 of TCGMC’s CD’s, on “Proud and Peaceful”- a CD of solo piano music from the pianists within GALA (Gay and Lesbian Choruses of America) and on his own CD’s, “in the evening air” – a collection of nocturnes, lullabies and night songs and “I Love a Piano” – a recording commemorating his 20th year accompanying the Twin Cities’ Gay Men’s Chorus and “this is the wonder” a holiday CD celebrating his 25th anniversary with the chorus.
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges proclaimed December 5, 2015 as Timothy De Prey Day in the City of Minneapolis honoring his work with MacPhail Center for Music and the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Timothy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in music therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Minnesota.
Timothy Jones
M.M., University of Texas-Austin
B.M., The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
Timothy Jones is an American pianist based in Austin, TX, recognized for his versatility as a performer, collaborator, and educator. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Peabody Institute, where he studied under Marian Hahn and received additional guidance from esteemed artists Leon Fleisher and Richard Goode. Tim’s achievements at Peabody include winning the 2019 Lillian Gutmann Memorial Prize in Piano Performance. He continued his studies at the University of Texas at Austin, earning both a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance under the mentorship of Anton Nel. Currently, Tim is pursuing an Artist Diploma as only the second pianist in UT Austin’s history to be admitted into this program.
Distinguished as the first solo pianist to receive a Collaborative Piano Teaching Assistantship at UT Austin, Tim was subsequently appointed Guest Artist Staff Pianist—a role created especially for him. This unique position allows him to serve as a valued collaborator and coach for instrumentalists and vocalists.
Tim has performed in prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, and the Krakow Academy of Music, and has been featured in major summer festivals such as Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institution, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Virtuoso e Belcanto, and Summit Music Festival. His guest appearances as a collaborative pianist include engagements with Peabody Institute, Columbus State University, Georgia State University, University of Tennessee, University of Memphis, and University of Texas at San Antonio. Among his recent collaborators are members of the Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Austin Symphony Orchestras, with upcoming performances alongside the UT Austin New Music Ensemble featuring Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plittman.
Alongside his performance career, Tim teaches piano and music theory at Velocity Music Academy and Clavierwerke School of Music in Austin, emphasizing a supportive, student-centered approach that nurtures artistic and technical development. Excited to join the faculty at Rocky Ridge Music Center for the Junior Artist Intensive, Tim looks forward to creating an inspiring, collaborative environment for emerging artists.