Piano Studies

Instructors

• Lynn Worcester Jones, Keyboard Area Coordinator
• David Walters, piano
• Janet Sump, class piano

With the instructors’ global experience, knowledge, and passion, UTC Piano Area is one of the best places for young pianists to develop their potential and fulfill their career dreams. Piano students receive comprehensive training in a real-world context. In addition to weekly lessons with their private instructors, piano students participate in large ensembles as accompanists and in small chamber groups as collaborative artists. 

Advanced students are called upon with frequency to perform at local venues and university functions. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Performing Arts Music Division brings together outstanding artists from international backgrounds and scholars of varied academic interests. An accredited member of National Association of Schools of Music since 1933, the Music Division has had a long tradition of exceptional concert pianists and pedagogues on its faculty.

Important facts

The Piano Area boasts of its low student-teacher ratio. All classes are taught in small groups, and students can easily find their own identity and musical personality in this friendly yet challenging environment.

Because of the Piano Area’s size, piano students have frequent opportunities to participate in master classes with world-renowned musicians. These have included Van Cliburn gold medalist Jon Nakamatsu, the Eroica Trio, and the Ahn Trio, the Juilliard Quartet, among others.

Degree programs

To suit the various needs of our students, the Music Division offers several degrees in piano.

• The Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree offers conservatory-style training, along with an emphasis on pedagogy and literature, and participation in chamber ensembles.
• The Bachelor of Arts degree provides broader humanistic instruction and prepares students for diverse career choices.
• The Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education degree prepares students for K-12 vocal and general music teaching.
• New Degree Offering: Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy

BM in Piano Performance and Pedagogy

The Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy degree is a new degree offering in fall 2022 at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The B.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy degree program emphasizes high-performance standards and piano pedagogy coursework and training, setting graduates apart from those earning piano performance-only degrees and is currently the only undergraduate piano performance pedagogy degree in the surrounding region. The piano pedagogy curriculum will prepare talented pianists with a worldly, well-rounded education to teach students of all ages and abilities, allowing them to establish themselves as strong performers and teachers upon graduation.

The four-year program includes disciplined practice, weekly lesson feedback, collaborative ensemble experiences, accompanying training and coaching, and piano literature and three piano pedagogy courses that will prepare pianists to tailor their interests and strengths for a variety of careers in the field of piano. The practice, time-management skills, patience, piano repertoire knowledge, teaching experience and tenacity needed for a successful four years of piano performance and pedagogy study at UTC will serve as building blocks for musical and professional success.

Capable piano majors will have the opportunity to perform in a variety of formats on and off campus, from solo piano performances, collaborative performances, competitions, and other recital formats. Additionally, they will find unique opportunities to present research both locally and at national conferences through teacher organizations under the mentorship of a piano professor.

Piano faculty are available to discuss degree options and career paths with students and provide sample lessons to prospective students. Students and their parents are welcome to schedule a special visit on campus to experience all UTC has to offer. Please contact Dr. Lynn Worcester Jones for more information.

Professional Opportunities

Professional opportunities after UTC are infinite. Our alumni are a constant presence in local classrooms, reaching out to the next generation of musicians through music education and appreciation courses. Graduates from the performance program have gone on to pursue doctoral degrees and attained teaching positions at prestigious colleges and universities. The competitiveness and professional readiness of the graduate piano students are the result of the rigorous degree requirements, and UTC Piano Area has produced some of the finest artist and teachers.

Performance venues

The Music Division offers performance opportunities for students in three concert venues. These include the 500-seat Roland Hayes Concert Hall, the 200-seat Cadek Recital Hall, and historic Patten Chapel. Roland Hayes Concert Hall houses two 9-foot Steinway grand pianos, and Cadek Recital Hall is equipped with a 7-foot and a 9-foot Steinway grand piano. Patten Chapel houses a 9-foot Yamaha Grand. Our newest piano is the $112,000 9-foot Steinway in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall.

Other Opportunities

At UTC, pianists have the option of participating as student members in professional organizations such as Music Teachers National Association and the Nationals Association for Music Education. The Collegiate Chapters are supervised by faculty members, and activities have included community projects, fundraising performances, outreach concerts, workshops, student recitals, and guest presentations, to name a few.

Join the program

Regardless of the chosen major, all students with piano skills are welcome to audition for a Piano Performance Grant.