Penn State Piano

08/24/2026

What has everyone been up to this summer? ☀️

STUDENT SUMMER HIGHLIGHT: Charles Lisa

Charles had a busy summer performing gospel, jazz, and chamber music! He spent 10 days with the Elevate Choir at the Elevate Summer Vocal Arts Summer Institute in Bethany Beach, followed by two weeks at the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he performed chamber music and collaborated with artists from the Mile of Music Festival.

Welcome back, everyone! 🎹

08/19/2026

No better way to celebrate the end of the summer than to send off our summer graduates! Pictured here are Drs. Hyeonjeong Gong and Ivan Yumagulov with their advisor, Dr. Quah. Ivan will be joining the faculty at Mars Hill University, NC, and North Greenville University, SC, as adjunct music faculty, and Hyeonjeong will be welcoming baby no. 2 this fall. A big congratulations to both!!!

08/08/2026

05/07/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Melody Quah!

05/03/2026

We heard some OUTSTANDING piano playing across a run of recitals over the past two weeks. Congratulations to Yucheng Xu, Bohan Wu, Jing Shi, Yirui Ma, Liuxuanfang Li, Xiang Su, and Wanli Wang—your hard work clearly shone through!
Now, good luck to everyone for juries next week!

04/28/2026

Assistant Professor of Piano Katherine Benson is featured on "Faces & Masques," a new album with the Paramount Chamber Players, that will release on April 28 alongside a Tennessee tour with violinist William Shaub.

04/28/2026

Congrats to the Contemporary Music Ensemble, director Kevin Sims, and all the performers for such a cool, collaborative concert at the Palmer Museum last week at Penn State! Pianist Yanjun Huang, DMA student from Dr. Tim Shafer’s studio, was a powerful presence in the Rzewski. It was a special evening of poetry, visual art, and music!

04/27/2026

Congratulations to the newly minted Drs. Hyeonjeong Gong and Ivan Yumagulov on your successful self-prepared Final DMA Solo Recitals! Thank you for your sensitive and commanding music-making!

04/20/2026

Many thanks to Dr. Tim Shafer and his daughter, Sarah Shafer, for an unforgettable recital last Friday evening. The program featured works by Olivier Messiaen, Maurice Ravel, and Francis Poulenc.

04/20/2026

PSU piano in the community! Doctoral students Xiang Su and Yucheng Xu performed a beautiful recital for the most warm and appreciative audience at the Village At Penn State last week. Thank you to Jim Beckman and team for hosting us so generously.