Keyboard
BGSU has earned a reputation for its outstanding keyboard program, drawing students from all over the United States and the world. The four full-time piano faculty members, Solungga Liu, Laura Melton, Robert Satterlee, and Yevgeny Yontov have diverse backgrounds and maintain active performing careers. With approximately 50 piano majors, including undergraduate and graduate students in degree programs in performance and music education, the BGSU piano program offers a wide range of opportunities to build your pianistic artistry in a caring and nurturing environment.
The College sponsors a number of competitions for student pianists at BGSU. The Competitions in Music Performance offers students the chance to play concerti with the BGSU Philharmonia or Wind Symphony. The Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition honors students in various chamber music groups, and the Conrad Art Song Competition pairs pianists with singers to perform art songs, with prize money equally shared between the pianist and singer.
Piano Area Events
2019-2020 Academic Year
Fall 2019
Faculty Collage Recital
Wednesday, 8/28, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Special Session by Aviva Wolff, Hand Specialist
Monday, 9/9, 2:30-4 pm, Bryan Hall
Yuanyuan Zhou, Guest Piano Recital (Sichuan Conservatory, China)
Monday, 9/30, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Faculty Chamber Music Recital (Brahms Piano Quintet)
Wednesday, 10/2, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Kristian Nyquist, Guest Harpsichord Recital
Tuesday, 10/15, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Stephen De Pledge, Guest Piano Recital (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Monday, 10/21, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Master Class: 2:30-3:45 pm
William Westney, Guest Piano Recital (Texas Tech U)
Monday, 10/28, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Laura Melton, Faculty Artist Recital
Wednesday, 11/13, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Solungga Liu, with BGSU Jazz Ensemble: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Friday, 11/22, 8 pm, Kobacker Hall
Yevgeny Yontov, with BGSU Philharmonia: Beethoven: Concerto No. 4
Monday, 12/2, 8 pm, Kobacker Hall
Spring 2020
David D. Dubois Piano Festival and Competition
Thursday, 1/30- Sunday, 2/2
BGSU Piano Faculty/Dubois Winner Gala Concert: 1/30, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Guest Artist Master Class: Boris Berman 1/31, 2:30 pm, Bryan Hall
Guest Artist Recital: Boris Berman 1/2, 8 pm, Kobacker Hall
Cole Burger, Faculty Artist Recital
Wednesday, 2/5, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Jerry Wong Guest Artist Master Class (Melbourne Conservatorium)
Friday, 2/7, 2:30 pm, Bryan Hall
Mei-Hsuan Huang, piano; Boros Martinic, violin (Iowa State University) Guest Recital
Sunday, 3/8, 8 pm, Bryan Recital Hall
Master Class (Piano): Sunday, 3/8, 11 am, Bryan Hall
Master Class (Violin): Sunday, 3/8, 1 pm, Bryan Hall
Eri Nakagawa, Guest Piano Recital (Mahidol University, Thailand)
Friday, 3/13, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Shuai Wang and Sean Schulze, Guest 2-Piano Recital (Cleveland Institute of Music)
Saturday, 3/28, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Naoki Hakutani, Guest Artist Recital
Monday, 4/6, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Yevgeny Yontov, Faculty Artist Recital
Wednesday, 4/8, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Robert Weirich, Guest Artist Recital
Friday, 4/10, 8 pm, Bryan Hall
Keyboard Area News
Aug 27, 2019 4:15 PM Piano Alumna voted 2019 Teacher of the Year
Piano Alumna voted 2019 Teacher of the YearMar 4, 2019 12:13 PM Sijia Lin receives award in the Graves Piano Competition
Second year piano master's student Sijia Lin recently won second place in the Young Artists Division of the OhioMTA/Graves Solo Piano Competition, held Sunday, March 3 in Columbus, Ohio. Sijia is from Chengdu, China and studies with Professor Robert Satterlee. In addition to receiving a cash prize, Sijia will play on a winner's concert in Columbus in March.Feb 12, 2019 2:37 PM Solungga Liu, Featured Artist and Faculty at the Sicily International Piano Festival and Competition
Associate Professor Solungga Liu, Coordinator of the Piano Area, was one of featured guest artists at the 2019 Sicily International Piano Festival and Competition from January 18-27 in Catania, Sicily, Italy. Together with faculty from France, Great Britain, USA, Thailand and Italy, Liu taught and performed at the weeklong festival and participated in judging the Junior-Division Piano Competition.Nov 3, 2017 2:25 PM Melton to play Mozart Concerto with Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Laura Melton will appear as guest soloist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 2:30 PM at the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University.Oct 6, 2017 2:55 PM BGSU Faculty Visit Sichuan Conservatory
BGSU professors Dr. Mikel Kuehn, Dr. Conor Nelson, Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz and Dr. Brian Snow traveled to Chengdu, China to take part in the 2nd International Baroque Music Week at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.May 30, 2017 10:16 AM Professor Thomas Rosenkranz to perform in Hong Kong
Associate Professor of Piano, Thomas Rosenkranz will travel to Hong Kong to be part of a multi-media project entitled "Many Visions of Many Cosmos: Olivier Messiaen's Visions de l'amen".May 5, 2017 11:08 AM Olivier Messiaen's "Catalogue of Birds (Catalogue d'Oiseaux)"
BGSU faculty, students and alumni will present Olivier Messiaen's "Catalogue of Birds" on May 14 from 2-5 p.m. in the Toledo Museum of Art GlasSalon.May 3, 2017 10:54 AM Solungga Liu Celebrates Major CD Release with the U of Minnesota Wind Ensemble
The highly respected independent label Bridge Records has just announced the release of an album featuring Solungga Liu, Associate Professor of Piano, in a CD of virtuosic works for wind ensemble by Gregory Mertl, performed by the University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble.