This masterclass is open to students of all levels for both solo piano and piano duet (four-hand) performances. Participation details will be announced at a later date through the EVMTA newsletter
Pianist, composer, and nonprofit leader, Dr. Stephen Cook has dedicated his life to building culture. Dr. Cook studied with renowned pianists Ursula Oppens, Robert Hamilton, and Eteri Andjaparidze, earning degrees from DePaul University, Northwestern University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Arizona State University. He has also worked with several internationally acclaimed pianists and is a prizewinner of numerous national and international competitions, including the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition and the Yamaha/Sherman Clay Young Artists Piano Competition. A visionary pianist, Dr. Cook expands the traditional piano recital with distinctive elements of artistic fusion. His innovative performance projects harmoniously merge music with visual arts, literature and film. His interactive book Picturing Rachmaninoff and his stage show Picturing Ravel are examples of this format. Many of Cook’s performance projects incorporate theatrical spoken-work recitation and poetic declamation. To support this work, Cook studied vocal production, diction, and interpretive delivery with Darleen Kliewer-Britton and Paul Harvey Jr. Dr. Cook carries forward his holistic approach to music-making in his compositions and arrangements, which draw connections among the musical, literary, and the visual arts. His most recent set of compositions, Arizona Ghost Stories, focus on folk material from rural Arizona, and he has recently released virtuoso piano solo arrangements of vocal duets by Johannes Brahms which are available at http://stephencookpianist.com/ As an educator, Dr. Cook fosters appreciation for artistic tradition, craftsmanship, and creative expression. He leads a private piano studio, serves on the faculty of Scottsdale Community College and Mesa Community College, and is founder and director of the Oracle Chamber Music Festival and the Oracle Conservatory. Dedicated to community outreach and cultural development, Dr. Cook founded the Oracle Piano Society in 2012. Under Cook’s leadership, the organization has grown into a thriving institution providing barrier-free music education to rural communities through music instruction and performance.
