PianoRutgers

An online community celebrating pianists of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. it was a remarkable evening.

"The Piano Studio of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers pulled off a neat trick…. The concert also revealed a wide range of pianistic and compositional gifts among the students, undergraduate as well as postgraduate.” - The New York Times

"The students played with confidence, technical security and musical sensibility proving that the music department at Rutgers is on a par with the world’s most prestigious conservatories." - NY Concert Review

04/24/2026

🎹 Upcoming concert alert!

📅 Saturday, May 2, 2026 | 2 PM
📍 Shindell Choral Hall, Rutgers University

🎵 To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the 250th Anniversary of the United States, Rutgers Piano Area Head Min Kwon has curated a piano concert marathon featuring her project America/Beautiful — which commissioned 76 living American composers to contribute their perspectives and variations on the song “America the Beautiful.” 🇺🇸🎶✨

Led and performed by Kwon, the concert also welcomes Rutgers Piano Faculty, Alumni, and Students. 🌟 The event will also showcase Korean-American photographer Park Joon’s stunning photo series, “America The Beautiful.” 🖼️

The event is free and open to the public, followed by a reception with the musicians. 🥂 We hope to see you there!

04/16/2026

🎹✨ We are very excited to welcome Dr. Carol Leone Carol Leone to the Rutgers piano area for a three-day visit from April 20–22! She will present two lecture performances on Beethoven’s tempi and the Stretto Keyboard Piano, and host a series of open lessons for Rutgers piano students. 🎶

Dr. Leone is the Chair of Piano Studies and Professor of Piano at SMU Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, TX. 🌟

📍 All events will be held in Schare Recital Hall at Rutgers University — free admission and open to the public. We hope to see you there! 🎟️

04/14/2026

Rutgers DMA Piano student Jorge Tabarés Jorge Tabarés will perform his solo recital at Schare Recital Hall on Thursday, April 16 at 12:30 PM. The program features works by Aldridge, Albéniz, Rachmaninoff, and Tabarés. This event is open to the public! ✨

04/10/2026

Congratulations to Rutgers musicians Music at Mason Gross, Rutgers and dancers Rutgers University Mason Gross Dance on their collaboration in the ‘26 Spring DancePlus show! Mason Gross School Of The Arts 👏

Andrew Chan (BM Piano student) and Jennie Liu (DMA Piano student) perform a four-hand work by Jack Frerer Jack Frerer (Composition Faculty). 🎶

Four variations from Min Kwon’s Min Kwon 권민경 (Piano Area Head) commissioned America/Beautiful project were choreographed by Phil Chan Phil Chan | 陳肇中 (Dance Guest Choreographer). Min Kwon performs CROWN OF BROTHERHOOD by Terry Riley , and CROWN THY GOD by Vijay Iyer vijay iyer. Xiyue Huang Xiyue Huang (DMA Piano student) performs REFINE by Nico Muhly Nico Muhly. Christina Keller Christina (BM Piano alumna) performs OH BEAUTIFUL by Andrew Bambridge Andrew Bambridge (BM alumnus). 🎹

You can still catch the show tonight, Friday, 4/10 at 7:30 PM, or tomorrow, Saturday, 4/11 at 2:30 PM at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. ✨

03/25/2026

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: VLADIMIR VALJAREVIĆ

From the Balkans to global stages, Prof. Valjarević brings a deeply thoughtful, refined, and human approach to piano teaching and artistry at Rutgers MGSA.

-Background:

Serbian, born in Bosnia, he serves on the piano faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts and Mannes School of Music. Teaching, for him, is not just a profession—it’s a true passion and a way to contribute meaningfully to a musical community.

-Musical Formation:

His studies span Bosnia, Serbia, the U.S., and Switzerland, along with major festivals across Europe and America. Among his most influential mentors: Pavlina Dokovska and Pascal Devoyon.

-Artistic Approach:

“Physically flexible and artistically engaged.”
For Prof. Valjarević, technical freedom is inseparable from imagination—allowing the pianist to shape and refine a deeply nuanced artistic vision.

-Teaching Philosophy:

His mission is simple but powerful:
Help each student become the best version of themselves.

-Studio Culture:

He cultivates an environment of joy, curiosity, and growth—guiding students toward not just musical excellence, but a meaningful and sustainable life in music.

-Current Projects:

Preparing for a chamber music festival in Virginia this April, with additional teaching and performances this summer at Mannes and in China—continuing a vibrant international artistic life.

-Balancing It All:

Efficiency, focus, and careful planning are key to navigating performance, teaching, and beyond.

-Advice to Pianists:

“Be open to every opportunity that comes your way.”

-Looking Ahead:

What excites him most is witnessing his students grow.
“It’s deeply humbling to be part of someone’s artistic and personal journey.”

- Currently Inspired By:

Sometimes, silence.
And always, great music—regardless of genre.

02/10/2026

🎹✨ Meet Jorge Tabarés
Composer & pianist from Valencia, Spain 🇪🇸, currently pursuing a PhD in Composition with Dr. Aldridge and a DMA in Piano with Dr. Kwon at Rutgers MGSA.

🎓 Musical Path
Before Rutgers, Jorge completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in composition and piano at Mannes School of Music, studying with Lowell Liebermann and Irina Morozova.

🌍 Artistic Philosophy
Jorge believes deeply in musical plurality: composing, performing, improvising, teaching, conducting—and beyond. “Hyper-specialization drains the human spirit. We’re meant to do many things, to connect ideas that seem unrelated.”

🎼 Current Repertoire
He’s performing several of Bob Aldridge’s Waltzes—music that is playful, seductive, and melancholic—and Rachmaninoff’s Corelli Variations, which he interprets as a powerful narrative of history, ideology, and human cost. A work whose message, for him, resonates strongly with our present time.

🍳📚 Outside of Music
Cooking, reading, watching great films or shows, and exploring the city whenever time allows.

🌍 Upcoming Highlights
• Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion to be performed in Vienna this September at Festival Manufaktur der Künste
• A new piano work to be premiered by Dasom Woo at the Orléans International Piano Competition (Frankfurt, Germany)

✍️ Looking Ahead
Focused on advancing his DMA piano thesis—still lots to write, but determined to finish strong.

💡 Advice for Students
Don’t limit your musical identity. Explore everything. Join ensembles, sing in a choir, or pick up that instrument you’ve always wanted to try—Rutgers makes it possible.

🎧 Currently Listening To
The beautiful (and too often overlooked) music of Jesús Guridi, the band DarWin, and a deep dive into Black spirituals—a repertoire Jorge calls absolutely stunning.

01/28/2026

🎹 **Student Spotlight: Lamis Shams**

Meet **Lamis Shams**, a pianist from **Cairo, Egypt**, currently in her **third year of the DMA in Piano Performance** at MGSA, studying with **Dr. Karina Bruk**.

Her musical journey has taken her through the **Cairo Conservatory**, **Roosevelt University**, and the **Manhattan School of Music**—each shaping her voice as both a performer and a thinker.

For Lamis, music is far more than entertainment. It’s a form of communication, a way to purify the soul, and an expression of what words cannot hold. Growing up in a culture where classical music wasn’t always seen as essential, she sees her role as a pianist and educator as helping shift that perspective through meaningful artistry.

🎶 **Current repertoire** includes:
Brahms *Op. 119*, Schumann’s *Kreisleriana*, and Janáček’s *Sonata 1.X.1905 (“From the Street”)*—works that explore love, longing, loss, mourning, and ultimately, acceptance.

Outside the practice room, Lamis enjoys reading, attending ballet and Broadway shows, hiking, and spending time by the beach.
✨ Fun fact: she danced **ballet for over 15 years**—even before starting piano!

🎼 This semester, she has **multiple solo and chamber performances** coming up… stay tuned!

💡 **Advice for aspiring pianists:**
Be curious. Be passionate. Engage with all forms of art—nature, literature, theater, film, travel. Great composers drew inspiration from everywhere, and so should you.

🎧 **Currently listening to:** jazz classics on repeat.

DMA WomenInMusic 🎹✨

01/23/2026

Please join us on February 6 at Nicholas Music Center of Rutgers University for a beautiful evening with great chamber music by J. Brahms and C. Schumann, performed by Rutgers faculty and guests!

01/08/2026

🎹 Meet our DMA Pianist 🎹
Born in Beijing, China, this 3rd-year DMA pianist is currently studying with Dr. Vladimir Valjarevic, continuing a rich musical journey shaped by studies at the University of Denver and Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame—alongside an early background growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.
For her, the piano is more than a profession—it’s a lifelong calling. The goal isn’t just technical mastery, but becoming the best musician possible in order to inspire others through music, in whatever form it may take.

🎼 Current repertoire includes Beethoven Op. 109, Chopin Ballade No. 2, Brahms Op. 119, and possibly Scriabin’s Fantasy—works deeply connected to memories of her late mother, offering catharsis through loss and grief.

📚 Outside the studio: reading, writing, occasional cooking, and playing Dota 2.

🍇 Fun fact: favorite fruit = mulberry.

✨ Looking ahead: a 2nd DMA solo recital planned for the end of this spring semester and, as always, learning and playing new music.

💡 Advice for prospective pianists at MGSA, Rutgers: the DMA program is rigorous, supportive, and ideal for highly motivated musicians ready to meet constant artistic and academic challenges.

🎧 Currently on repeat:
• Classical — Romantic Russian orchestral works
• Non-classical — Natalia Lafourcade, Laufey, Rita Payés

12/11/2025

🎹 Meet Shangzhi (Lucia) Liu!
First-year DMA pianist at Rutgers MGSA, originally from Hangzhou, China 🇨🇳 → Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦, now studying with Dr. Karina Bruk.

✨ Previous Studies
Lucia completed her bachelor’s at Mannes School of Music with Dr. Blair McMillen and her master’s at Manhattan School of Music with Dr. Wael Farouk.

🎯 Artistic Goals
“I hope to expand my artistic horizons and musical experiences throughout the DMA program.”

🎼 Current Repertoire
Preparing for her upcoming solo recital with:
• Bach–Busoni Chaconne
• Brahms Intermezzo Op. 117
• Clementi Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 40
(And of course, her concerto repertoire!)

🌅 Outside the Practice Room
“If possible, I’d love to live by the ocean and chase sunsets every day.”

💃 Fun Fact
Lucia used to study Latin dance and even competed in several events!

🎶 Performing Soon
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 for her jury performance this semester.

🤝 Looking Forward
Excited for upcoming collaborations with string players next semester.

💬 Advice for Future MGSA Pianists
“Be brave and engage with the community. MGSA is incredibly supportive—connect with your colleagues and contribute to our family.”

🎧 Currently Listening To
Elliott Carter’s Piano Sonata.

12/05/2025

🎹 Student Spotlight: Guannan (Alice) Liu
DMA Piano • Year 1 • Studio of Prof. Vladimir Valjarević
Hello everyone! I’m Guannan (Alice) Liu, originally from Shenzhen, China, and I’m thrilled to be in my first year of the DMA program here at Mason Gross.
Before joining MGSA, I completed my Bachelor’s in Piano Performance at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music (with Dr. Sylvia Wang), followed by a Master’s and Professional Studies Degree at the Mannes School of Music (studying with J.Y. Song and Ann Schein).
✨ My Goal as a Pianist
I hope to create musical spaces where listeners can set aside daily worries and reconnect—with the music and with themselves. I’ve been deeply inspired by pianists like Mitsuko Uchida and Marc-André Hamelin, whose performances offer profound clarity, focus, and healing. One day, I hope my playing can bring the same sense of renewal to others.
🎶 Current Repertoire
This semester, I worked on Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and performed Walter Rabl’s Quartet for Piano, Violin, Clarinet & Cello—a hidden gem I highly recommend exploring!
Next semester, I’ll be diving into my solo recital repertoire: Schubert Sonata D. 958 and Scriabin Sonata No. 5—pieces I’ve been eager to play for a long time.
🌿 Outside the Practice Room
When I’m not at the piano, you’ll probably find me cooking new recipes, hiking, hosting game nights, or building LEGO sets! I recently finished the McLaren P1 and the LEGO piano—next up: the Disney castle.
🎤 Fun Fact: I can do polyphonic overtone singing!
🎵 Listening To: Scriabin sonatas (always inspiring).
📚 Looking Ahead
This year, I’m especially excited for the class on Topic Theory, something totally new to me. And stay tuned—I’m planning a solo recital next semester!
💡 Advice for Future MGSA Pianists
If you love combining performance with research and deep study, this is the perfect place for you.

Address

81 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ
08901

Telephone

+17329323848

Website

https://linktr.ee/rutgers_pianists

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