Master Classes & Adopted Composers
The Piano “adopts” a composer from time to time and use their music for instruction. Sometimes we arrange for the composer to come play for our students or provide a master class to provide tips or instruction. Here are some of our recent “adopted” composers.
Carol Klose
An accomplished performer, teacher, composer and arranger, Carol Klose holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, summa cum laude, from Rosary College (Dominican University), and a Master of Fine Arts degree, also in piano performance, from Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy. Former teachers include Orazio Frugoni and Renato Premezzi.
Ms.Klose is a former member of the faculty of the Wisconsin College/Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee, and has served as adjunct professor of piano pedagogy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Currently she teaches piano and composition privately at her home studio, and is an active member of MTNA, WMTA, WMTA-Greater Milwaukee Chapter, the National Federation of Music Clubs, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity, having been elected to its distinguished membership of Artists, Composers, Musicologists and Educators (ACME). Ms. Klose is a frequent adjudicator for organizations such as the National Guild of Piano Teachers (performance and composition), WMTA, MMTA, and several national composition competitions, and has served on committee for the PianoArts International Piano Competition. As a clinician, Ms. Klose has conducted numerous workshops in the US, Australia, and Canada, including sessions at MTNA National Conventions, the Florida Music Teachers State Convention, Music Teachers Association of California, and Wisconsin Music Teachers Association State Conventions.
Ms. Klose has over thirty-five years’ experience in the music publishing field as composer, arranger, author and editor, with original compositions and arrangements published by Hal Leonard Corporation. Original works include piano solos, piano duets, art songs, a musical version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (presented annually since 1996 by Patio Players Theater in Menomonee Falls, WI) and pieces in the NGPT Allison Contemporary Piano Collection. A featured composer in the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library, her many publications include three books of original compositions – Coral Reef Suite, Desert Suite, Fanciful Waltzes, Garden Treasures – as well as numerous original compositions and arrangements in the HLSPL method books. Ms. Klose was commissioned by the Library of Congress National Library Services for the Blind and Handicapped to create a taped instruction course on electronic keyboard playing based on her instruction series Keyboard Dynamics.
The mother of three married children and grandmother of five, Ms. Klose resides in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, with her realtor husband John.
Sadly, Ms. Klose passed away before she was able to visit with our families. Her music plays on with many of our students.
Robert Vandall
Robert D. Vandall has published more than 400 works for piano, primarily with Myklas Music Press, which is now owned by Alfred Publishing. His compositions are featured on numerous piano organization required lists, as well as in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festivals Bulletin. As a clinician, Mr. Vandall has appeared frequently at the Music Teachers National Convention (MTNA) and numerous state conventions.
His teaching experience is extensive, having taught group piano, music theory, music literature, and choral ensembles. He was a faculty member of the International Workshops in Biarritz, France and was the featured clinician as “Composer of the Year” for the Goshen College Piano Workshop. Previous music faculty posts include Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, IL and Mineral Area College, in Flat River, MO. Mr. Vandall holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH and a M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Karen, operate a thriving independent piano studio in New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Rami Bar Niv
Rami Bar-Niv is one of Israel’s most acclaimed and sought after pianists. He travels extensively and has become an international citizen, concertizing all over the world. Born in Tel-Aviv, he graduated with honors from the Rubin Academy of Music, and was the recipient of many prizes and scholarships. He won the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Competition and was awarded a scholarship to further his studies in the United States. After graduating from the Mannes College of Music in New York, where he studied with the renowned Mme. Nadia Reisenberg, he won numerous competitions and embarked on a highly successful concert career. Ever since, he performs regularly in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and of course Israel, where he recently received the best performer award.
He appears on TV and radio, in chamber ensembles, solo recitals, and as a soloist with orchestras, and is always received with great enthusiasm. Often sent abroad by the Foreign Ministry to represent Israel in concerts, he has become an ambassador or goodwill for Israel.
Rami Bar-Niv made history by being the first, and so far the only, Israeli artist to perform in Egypt following the Begin/Sadat Peace Treaty. His recordings for CBS and other labels in Israel and abroad have met with praise and popularity. Rami Bar-Niv offers music of great variety and contrast in style, and is an extremely versatile performer.
Busy with a concert career, Rami started devoting more time to composing later in life. He studied composition with Israel’s foremost composers, amongst them Paul Ben-Haim, Alexander Uriyah Boskovich, Abel Ehrlich, Yehoshua Lakner and Oedoen Partos. His compositions are published, recorded and performed world wide.
Find more about Rami Bar-Niv on his page at: http://www.ybarniv.com/Rami
Kevin Olson
Mr. Kevin R. Olson is an active pianist, composer, and faculty member at Elmhurst College near Chicago, Illinois, where he teaches classical and jazz piano, music theory, and electronic music. Read more about Kevin…
Catherine Rollin
A noted composer who combines her performing career with teaching prize-winning students, Catherine Rollin has traveled to more than 50 cities in the United States and Canada to present her workshops. Ms. Rollin received her bachelor of musical arts degree with distinction from the University of Michigan and her master of music degree from Oakland University School of Performing Arts. Her work as a composer has won her many distinctions. Among these, Ms. Rollin has been commissioned by Clavier magazine, the Music Teachers National Association and the Michigan Music Teachers Association. Several of her compositions have been selected for the 2001-2003 National Federation of Music Clubs Festivals Bulletin. She has also served as a judge on the national level for the MTNA Student Composition Competition and as a member of the prestigious panel of judges for the Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Contest. Ms. Rollin has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras, and is an active chamber musician in the Detroit area.
Melody Bober
Piano instructor, music teacher, composer, clinician – Melody Bober has been active in music education for over 25 years. As a composer, her goal is to create exciting and challenging pieces that are strong teaching tools to promote a life-long love, understanding, and appreciation for music. Pedagogy, ear training, and musical expression are fundamentals of Melody’s teaching, as well as fostering composition skills in her students.
Melody graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois with a degree in music education, and later received a master’s degree in piano performance. She maintains a large private piano studio, performs in numerous regional events, and conducts workshops across the country. She and her husband Jeff reside in Minnesota.
Melody was here on May 15th and 16th, 2004.