Angela Cheng has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Buffalo Philharmonic and the symphonies of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, St. Louis, Houston, Indianapolis, Utah, Colorado and Ft. Worth. She has also been recitalist at Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Musikverein and Mariinsky Concert Hall. Honors include a Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, the distinction of being the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition and the Medal of Excellence from the Salzburg Mozarteum for her interpretations of Mozart. Cheng has studied with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University and Sascha Gorodnitzki at the Juilliard School.
Alvin Chow has performed throughout North America and in Asia as orchestral soloist and recitalist. He has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions, including the University of Maryland International Piano Competition and the MTNA Collegiate Artist Competition. His appearances as soloist with orchestra include the National Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Shanghai Philharmonic and the Mozarteum Orchestra. Mr. Chow graduated co-valedictorian at the University of Maryland, where he was a student of Nelita True. He also received the prestigious Victor Herbert Prize in Piano from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Sascha Gorodnitzki, and he held the Joseph Battista Memorial Scholarship at Indiana University as a student of Menahem Pressler.
Since 1999, Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow have been members of the artist faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory, where each has been awarded Oberlin’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Ms. Cheng holds the Robert W. Wheeler Professorship and Mr. Chow is chair of the piano department.
Since his affiliation with Alfred Music in 1986 as a composer and clinician, Dennis Alexander has earned an international reputation as one of North America's most prolific and popular composers of educational piano music for students at all levels.
Professor Alexander retired from his position at the University of Montana in May 1996, where he taught piano and piano pedagogy for 24 years. Upon moving to California, he taught privately in addition to serving on the faculties of Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge. He currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Alexander graduated from the University of Kansas, where he was a student of Richard Reber. In 1972, he joined the faculty at the University of Montana and served as piano department chair and taught applied piano, class piano and piano pedagogy. In 1987, he made his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall with violinist Walter Olivares and continues to be active as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. He has served as a collaborative artist for numerous internationally recognized soloists, instrumentalists, and chamber groups.
Alexander was honored with the 2020 MTNA-Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award for his Nocturnes, published by Alfred Music.
As a composer, Melody Bober enjoys creating motivational piano pieces that foster her students' understanding and love of music. It is her great passion and joy!
Melody graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a bachelor's degree in music education. She later received a master of arts degree in piano performance from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. In addition to teaching piano in her private studio for over 40 years, Melody's music teaching experience includes 20 years of public school and 2 years at the university level. She has also been a church music director, pianist and accompanist.
A dynamic clinician and innovative composer, Melody is in great demand at conventions and workshops for piano teachers across North America. She resides in Minnesota with her husband Jeff.
For 30 years, Lisa and Lori Bastien have provided students of diverse ages, abilities and interests with a love of music. In Lisa’s studio, twenty floors above the bustling streets of New York City and in Lori’s studio, 2800 miles to the southwest in sunny La Jolla, California, the joyous sounds of budding artists learning to play the piano fills the air.
Lisa and Lori carry on and expand the legacy of their mother, Jane Smisor Bastien, and their father, James Bastien. Lisa and Lori studied piano with their mother from an early age. Growing up in a supportive and inspiring musical home ultimately led them to pursue music as a career and to become the devoted teachers they are today. Lisa holds a bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Drake University, where she studied with George Katz, and a master of music degree in piano pedagogy from Arizona State University, where she studied with Robert Roux. Lori holds a bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Rice University, where she studied with Brian Connelly.
Lisa and Lori have co-authored more than 100 piano books with Jane and each other. Collectively, the Bastien family has authored more than 500 hundred books that are translated into 14 languages and have taught millions of students how to play the piano. Through it all, it was—and continues to be—Lisa and Lori's passion for excellence as teachers, and their dedication to their students, that define them. They continue to find it a privilege and an honor to be piano teachers and find great joy in the lifelong connections they have with their students.