Home
Festival Program
Festival Biographies
Festival Registration
the 67th annual
MATTHAY PIANO FESTIVAL
Nazareth University
Rochester, New York
May 28-31, 2025
100 Years of Matthay in America
May the Association indeed foster the growth of love between us all.
—Tobias Matthay
LEFT: Three Charter Members of the American Matthay Association in 1928.
(L-R) BRUCE SIMONDS (NEW HAVEN), JULIAN DeGRAY (NEW YORK CITY)
and ALBION METCALF (BOSTON)
RIGHT: TOBIAS MATTHAY ABOUT 1925
(L-R) BRUCE SIMONDS (NEW HAVEN), JULIAN DeGRAY (NEW YORK CITY)
and ALBION METCALF (BOSTON)
RIGHT: TOBIAS MATTHAY ABOUT 1925
In July of 1925, TOBIAS MATTHAY hosted a dinner at his beautiful country home in Sussex in honor of what he termed his American summer school—summer lessons and classes which had been attracting U. S. citizens increasingly since the end of World War I. A few weeks earlier, since she knew Matthay planned to lead a toast on that evening, his wife, Jessie, asked BRUCE SIMONDS, a professor at the Yale School of Music, to respond for the Americans by preparing a few remarks. As Simonds later remembered:
I am sure that she had no idea of how appalled I was at this perfectly reasonable request. I had never made an after-dinner speech; I never attended dinners at which this was done. So I agonized over this for several weeks until the fatal evening arrived and I found myself seated at a little round table with the Matthays, Myra Hess, and Irene Scharrer, I don t remember the others. I can t recall what I said, beyond mentioning the successes of Myra and Irene, but at the close, in some desperation to find something constructive to say, I remarked that it would be appropriate if we Americans could get together and form an Association. To my surprise the suggestion was taken up and shortly after that a few of us went out one afternoon to a place near Chenies [in Buckinghamshire] for tea.
TOBIAS MATTHAY (1858-1945), the foremost piano teacher Britain has produced, taught at London's Royal Academy of Music for over 50 years, and he trained scores of famous British pianists, including Dame Myra Hess, Dame Moura Lympany, Sir Clifford Curzon, York Bowen, and Harriet Cohen. His distinguished American pupils included Frank Mannheimer, Cécile Genhart, and Bruce Simonds, and Simonds later observed that any popularity Matthay had enjoyed in the United States was directly related to the stunning American success of Myra Hess: Certainly his books, excellent as they are, would not have made the impact on the public that was made by her playing.
This year, in honor of our organization's centennial, the American Matthay Association is pleased to host noted scholar and critic JESSICA DUCHEN as our keynote speaker,
the author of the
forthcoming Myra Hess: National Treasure, the first comprehensive, scholarly biography of Dame Myra to appear in nearly 50 years.
Her topic will be "MYRA HESS IN AMERICA."
Dame Myra Hess, Tobias Matthay s most famous pupil, was a living legend in the UK, but she was, if anything, even more of a star in the U.S. She visited the States some 40 times from 1922 onwards, typically spending 3-4 months of the year touring from Coast to Coast. Some of her finest live recordings were taken from her American performances and broadcasts: Mozart and Brahms with Bruno Walter, Beethoven with Toscanini, and some remarkable recital material from the University of Illinois in 1949, which revealed an altogether fierier side of her artistry than British audiences would have expected. Looking at the contrast in atmosphere, pianos, audience attitudes and musical ambience between Britain and the States across her career, and quoting illuminating and entertaining insights from her formerly unpublished American tour diaries, this talk will attempt to unravel how and why America brought out the very best in Dame Myra Hess.
The London-based JESSICA DUCHEN was the founding editor of Britain s first independent piano magazine, Classical Piano, which first appeared in the 1990s and later merged with International Piano. Her previous biographies include studies of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Gabriel Fauré and the London Chamber Orchestra, and her work has also appeared in the Sunday Times, the i Paper, the BBC Music Magazine, and The Independent, to which she contributed for 12 years, between 2004 and 2016. Her many novels on musical topics include Ghost Variations, the story of how the suppressed Schumann Violin Concerto was discovered, Immortal, about Beethoven s "Immortal Beloved," and Alicia s Gift, about a child prodigy pianist.(NOTE: Myra Hess material begins about 22 minutes into the broadcast.)
When Myra Hess made her New York debut in 1922, American audiences immediately embraced her artistry, despite the fact that she then encountered staggering competition. As a complement to
Jessica Duchen's insightful presentation, the American Matthay Association is honored to welcome noted piano scholar GREGOR BENKO as a special guest speaker, who will
offer a survey of some of the pianistic giants Myra faced, and also show a remarkable film he has produced
in association with the Polish government,
JOSEF HOFMANN: GENIUS AND DREAMER. This documentary, over five years in the making,
offers rare glimpses into the career of one of history's greatest pianistic talents.
With footage never before seen, it explores Hofmann's art and life
through extensive interviews with Marc-Andr Hamelin, Charles Rosen, Garrick Ohlsson, Ruth Slenczynska,
Constance Keene, Will Crutchfield, the 105-year-old Eleanor Sokoloff,
and others.
GREGOR BENKO was a founder of the International Piano Archives. He managed the non-profit institution for ten years, attracting Spanish
virtuosa Alicia de Larrocha to act as the President of the corporation, and built an enormous collection of recordings, scores, memorabilia and associated
matter concerning concert pianists. In 1976 he donated the collections to the University of Maryland, where they formed the nucleus of the International Piano
Archives at Maryland (IPAM). He has unearthed and published all known recordings of Josef Hofmann, as well as dozens of historic recordings by other
"golden age" pianists. He has produced historic recording reissues such as RCA s Complete Rachmaninoff and dozens of comparable issues for various record companies, especially
the Marston label, which has gained a reputation for publishing the finest historical reissues. In 2013 Chopin's Prophet:
The Life of Pianist Vladimir de Pachmann, a well-received biography of
pianist Vladimir de Pachmann by Benko and
Edward Blickstein, was published. Benko was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Liszt Society in April 2017.
Click here to learn about the Clara Wells Fellows for 2025
MARK ANDERSON
has appeared as soloist with Sir Simon Rattle, Nicholas McCegan, William Boughton, George Cleve, Alun Francis, and Adam Fischer and in concert halls such as Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Zurich's Tonhalle, London's Wigmore Hall and Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan, among others. His formative training was with Aiko Onishi in California and Benjamin Kaplan in London. A native of the San Francisco Bay area, he is the founder of the Röntgen Piano Trio and has collaborated and recorded in the solo, two-piano, song/lieder and chamber music genres. As a solo recording artist, his thirteen solo CDs, all on Nimbus Records, have met with consistent critical acclaim. He has recorded two CDs of the solo piano music of Hans von Bülow and in 2013 embarked on research that explores the solo piano works of Dutch composer Julius Röntgen. His work has led to the release of four CDs of Röntgen's solo piano music and one of 2-piano music of Röntgen, Reinecke and Brahms. Included on the Bülow and Röntgen discs are previously unrecorded and unpublished works. Newly discovered works by Röntgen, edited by Mr. Anderson, are now available through Nimbus Music Publishing. His most recent recital recording of Röntgen's solo piano music (Röntgen VI) took place in November 2023 and was released in mid-2024. Mark is artistic director of the Challans Concerts in France each summer. These began in 2022 and have met with sold-out audiences in the beautiful Chateau de la vérie near the Loire region of France. In summer 2024, he returned with solo and chamber works for performances that included the Röntgen Piano Trio. Mark is chair of the keyboard division at University of British Columbia. His students have been prize-winners in all levels of competition and often go on to successful careers in music. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses and speak at piano pedagogy-related seminars and symposia and continues an active performing schedule in both North America and abroad. Mark Anderson is a Steinway Artist.
ALAN CHOW
has won First Prize in the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the UCLA International Piano Competition, and the Palm Beach Invitational International Piano Competition. Winner of the Silver Medal and Audience Favorite Prize at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, he was also a prizewinner in the William Kapell International Piano Competition. A Steinway artist, Mr. Chow has performed in recital and in concert with orchestras in nearly all 50 states. His recitals have brought him to the major music centers including New York (Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall), Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago (Symphony Center and Ravinia), Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Miami. Concerto performances include appearances with the National Symphony, Utah Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, and the Omaha Symphony. Mr. Chow regularly tours Asia with performances in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, including performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Shanghai Philharmonic, and the Pan-Asia Symphony. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with the American, Pacifica, Miami and Escher String Quartets and has been guest artist at the Grand Canyon Chamber Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics, San Juan Islands Chamber Music Festival, Kent Blossom Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, Music Festival of Arkansas and Music Mountain. In addition, he appears in joint recital engagements in the Cheng-Chow Trio with pianists Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow. Mr. Chow has given master classes throughout North America and Asia at conservatories, universities and summer festivals, including Indiana University, the Bowdoin Music Festival, the New Orleans International Piano Festival, and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival. Appointed guest professor at the Central Conservatory in Beijing and honored visiting professor at the Shenyang Conservatory, he has also presented recitals, master classes, and lectures in China at the conservatories in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian and Wuhan. An adjudicator at national and international competitions, he currently serves as the permanent Chair of Jury at the New Orleans International Piano Competition. Mr. Chow studied with Nelita True at the University of Maryland where he graduated Co-Valedictorian with his twin brother Alvin, and received the Charles Manning Prize in the Creative and Performing Arts given to the outstanding graduate; with Sascha Gorodnitzki at the Juilliard School where he was awarded the Victor Herbert Prize in Piano; and with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University where he was the recipient of the Joseph Battista Memorial Scholarship. He also studied at the Mozarteum Sommerakademie with Carlo Zecchi. Previously having served on the faculties of the University of Arkansas and Northwestern University, Mr. Chow is currently Professor of Piano and Chair of the Piano Department at the Eastman School of Music.
JI-HYANG GWAK
has garnered international praise for her versatility, energy, and technical mastery. As a performing solo artist, chamber musician, and pedagogue, she has made
appearances across the United States, throughout Europe, and in Japan and Korea.
Dr. Gwak has been a top prize winner in the Sicily International Piano Competition, the Seattle International Piano Competition, and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition, to name a few, and she also won awards in the Lyon
International Music Competition in France, the 39th Joongang Music Concours, and the Korea-Germany Brahms Association Concours.
She has performed in concerts and recitals at the Yamaha Salon in New York, Salle Molière in France,
Benaroya Hall in Seattle, and she has appeared throughout the US on the campuses of
the University of Florida, the University of Indianapolis,
Concordia College in Minnesota, and The Ohio State University, among many others. A native of South Korea, Dr. Gwak made her orchestral debut at 15 with the Bucheon Chamber Orchestra at Jancheon Art Hall in Seoul.
In 2014, she was the winner of the Eastman School of Music Concerto Competition, which allowed her to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Eastman Philharmonia under the baton
of Neil Varon in the historic 2400-seat Kodak Hall in Rochester. She has also appeared as soloist with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra at Hill Auditorium and the
Dexter Community Orchestra at Dexter Center for the Performing Arts. She has performed in masterclasses with world-renowned artists, including Philippe Bianconi,
Idil Biret, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Vadim Monastyrski, Yoshikazu Nagai, Elisabeth Pridonoff,
Gustavo Romero, Jacques Rouvier, Peter Serkin, Daniel Shapiro, Sasha Starcevich, and Asaf Zohar.
Dr. Gwak holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, summa cum laude, from Seoul National University, and a Master of Music in piano performance and literature from
the Eastman School of Music. Her teachers have included Kyungrok Park, Jinson Kim, Prof. Hie-Yon Choi, and Prof. Natalya Antonova. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano
performance and recently completed her Specialist degree in 2022 at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Prof. Christopher Harding, with the Earl V. Moore Award, which is the
top graduation honor of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance Department.
In the fall of 2023, Dr. Gwak joined the music faculty of the University of Dayton, and she
currently serves as both a Board member of the American Liszt Society, and as Secretary for the Ohio Chapter of ALS.
Over a century ago, when asked by Thomas Hickey, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rochester, to found a college for women—an under-served population then—the Sisters of St. Joseph responded. With newly minted doctorates from Fordham University in New York City, and extensive graduate study at Oxford and the Sorbonne, five Sisters of St. Joseph launched Nazareth College. The first 25 students began classes in a mansion called the "glass house" on Rochester's Lake Avenue on September 24, 1924—a date which has come to be known as Naz Day. In 1928 Nazareth moved to Augustine Street in Rochester to accommodate its growing enrollment, and it relocated to its current home on East Avenue in Pittsford in 1942. In a historic move, as Nazareth prepared to celebrate 100 years of educating students for their life's work, the institution officially became Nazareth University on June 1, 2023. Today, the campus is co-educational and religiously independent, situated on 150 scenic acres just outside of Rochester, and it consistently affirms a strong commitment to experience-based learning and community engagement. It now serves some 1900 undergraduates and 500 graduate students with over 60 majors and 25 graduate programs. The Master of Music program offers emphases in performance, pedagogy, and music ed, and the Bachelor of Arts in Music allows specializations in performance, composition, music ed, music business, music therapy, and music theatre.
Nazareth University has set aside a wide variety of campus housing options for Festival attendees. Single rooms are available at the Clock Tower Commons (left) and apartments are
available in the Breen Apartments (right), Lyons Apartments, and Portka Hall. Complete information about each of these housing options may be found here. Rooms include beds, desks, chairs, and either a closet or wardrobe, while apartments also have couches and arm chairs in the living room. All accommodations include
linen bundles (sheets, blankets, and pillowcases). Those interested in pursuing campus housing options should reserve a room or an apartment through the Registration link at the top of this page.
PLEASE NOTE: Nazareth student dining services will be closed during the Festival, so campus residents will need to make their own dining arrangements. Nearby restaurants, grocery stores, Uber, and DoorDash are all viable options.
Numerous off-campus lodging options are also available. Ten rooms are currently being held at the Del Monte Lodge Renaissance Rochester Hotel & Spa, located about a half mile from the campus at 41 N. Main Street, at a special group rate of $279 per night. If you click here, you should see "2025 Matthay Festival Room Block" at the top of the page, and you can make your reservation. The special rate will extend from Tuesday, May 27 through Sunday, June 1, but the reservation must be made by April 29. The Del Monte offers a shuttle from ROC, and its amenities include an on-site restaurant, room service, free WiFi, a fitness center, a full-service spa, and a business center.
The Hilton Garden Inn, located at 800 Pittsford-Victor Road, is a bit further from campus (about a 10-minute drive), but is offering rooms (both king-sized, and double queen-sized beds) at a special conference rate averaging to $151 a night. Festival attendees should click here to make reservations at this special rate, or call (585) 248-9000, Ext 0 (be sure to mention the American Matthay Association for Piano). But please be advised that the cutoff date is April 25. All rooms contain complimentary WiFi, LCD TV, a desk and ergonomic chair, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a coffeemaker. The hotel amenities include free parking, an on-site restaurant, an indoor pool, and a fitness center.
The Homewood Suites by Hilton Rochester-Victor, located at 575 Fishers Station Drive
The Best Western Plus Victor Inn & Suites,
located at 7449 State Route 96, and
The Courtyard by Marriott Rochester East/Penfield, located at 1000 Linden Park in Rochester.
The Festival Banquet will occur at 6 pm on Saturday, May 31, on the Nazareth campus in the Beston Lobby (left). It will be a buffet dinner with a vegetarian option and the price is $55 inclusive, though a cash bar will also be available. Please make your reservation by following the Reservation link at the top of this page.
The city of Rochester is served by the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), which is serviced by most major airlines, and is approximately 6 miles from the downtown area. Taxis and various shuttle services are easily available.
For driving directions to Nazareth University, please click here.