Piano Festival Returns Feb. 17-18

The 34th annual Truman Piano Festival will take place Feb. 17-18 in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.  

This year’s featured guest artist is Dr. Josh Pifer. At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, he will perform a solo recital that features works by Scarlatti, Justin Aftab, Tcherepnin and Corigliano. At 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18, he will conduct a master class featuring Truman piano majors. Both events are open to the public and free of charge.

Pifer, serves as lecturer in piano at Auburn University where he teaches class piano, applied piano and music skills. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, he made his piano debut playing Haydn’s “Concerto in A Major” with the Kotani Chamber Ensemble. At age 10 he performed as a vocalist for the MGM Tokyo Red Carpet premier of the movie “Mr. Mom.”

Pifer has an exciting solo and collaborative career that has taken him to four continents where he regularly appears as guest lecturer and clinician. Additionally, he has presented at national and state music teachers conferences and has adjudicated at more than 25 festivals and competitions in the United States. The summers find Pifer as faculty and artist at the Orfeo Music Festival in the Italian Alps. He has also been sought out by many college and graduate level pianists who have suffered injuries from excessive tension in their playing to help them overcome their problems and learn to play with much more individualistic freedom and ease.

Before graduating with honors and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California in 2009, Pifer completed his bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine, piano and organ from Wittenberg University and his master’s degree from Miami University. His major teachers include Antoinette Perry, Stewart Gordon, Dennis Thurmond, Robert Thomas, Donald Busarow, Magen Solomon, Sharon Lavery and Robert Howat.

During his career, Pifer has been on the faculty at Florida State University, Wittenberg University and Miami University. He is a founding member of the Oto Trio, which includes internationally acclaimed artist Chikuen Kato. Pifer has commissioned and premiered works by 21st-century composers such as Andre Cormier, Justin Aftab, Gary Shields, Douglas Townsend and Andrea Clearfield, and he is an advocate for the piano music of Alexander Tcherepnin.