VMTA 2022 Fall State Conference

October 27th - 29th
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

Guest Artist: Thomas Pandolfi

Thomas Pandolfi began his music career early on at The Juilliard School (BM & MM) where the young prodigy caught the influential ears of Vladimir Horowitz, who would become his mentor, and legendary composer, Morton Gould. Since then he has been an audience favorite, selling out the world's most prestigious stages, including Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall, Strathmore, The Kennedy Center, Kiev Opera House, Bucharest's Romanian Athenaeum, London's Cadogan Hall, and many others. In addition to being hailed as one of the greatest interpreters of Polish masters such as Chopin and Paderewski, this versatile pianist has received accolades from every thing from Bach to Gershwin, with Morton Gould saying, "It's the finest performance of Gershwin I have heard since the composer himself." His original and virtuosic transcriptions of works such as West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera, are one-of-kind, jaw-dropping, and dramatic encores that keep audiences of all ages returning to his performances again and again. Maestro Pandolfi is a Steinway Artist and when he is not on tour, he resides in Washington, DC.

Guest Clinician: Lisa Bastien

Onn any given day, twenty floors above the bustling streets of New York City, Lisa Bastien's piano studio is abuzz with the joyous sounds of students making and learning about music. For over a quarter century, her home has served as a place where students of diverse ages, abilities, and interests have come to experience joy, discovery, growth, and a passion for music.

Lisa adores teaching piano and has a passion for composing music to engage and motivate her students. Lisa has co-authored over 100 piano books with her mother, Jane Smisor Bastien, and her sister, Lori Bastien. Collectively, the Bastien family has authored over 500 books that are translated into 14 languages and have taught millions of students how to play the piano. Lisa has clocked countless days, weeks, and months in planes, trains, and automobiles traveling around the globe to share the Bastien publications with other teachers at workshops and conventions worldwide.

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