Leslie Spotz is an American

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

. She is Professor of piano at

Tarleton State University Tarleton State University is a Public university, public research university in Stephenville, Texas, United States. It is a founding member of the Texas A&M University System and enrolled over 15,000 students in the fall of 2022. It is Carnegie C ...

Biography

Spotz studied, as a full-scholarship recipient, at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

with

Mieczysław Horszowski Mieczysław Horszowski (June 23, 1892May 22, 1993) was a Polish and American pianist who had one of the longest careers in the history of the performing arts. Life Early life Horszowski was born in Lwów (Lemberg), Kingdom of Galicia and Lodome ...

, who was associated with

Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals,Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

in 2002. She attended high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, now known as the

University of North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a public art school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants a high school diploma, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina Sc ...

, where, at age 15, as winner of the concerto competition she played Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto with Nicholas Harsanyi conducting.

Career

Spotz' international solo career has included performances in Moscow at the Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow University, the South Bank Center of London, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, tours of Germany, recitals in Italy for the Lorenzo de’Medici Institute and a performance at the inaugural opening of Philadelphia’s new performance venue, the Kimmel Center. She heads the piano faculty at

in Stephenville, TX as a tenured associate professor.

Performances

Spotz has performed throughout the United States. Her appearances as a soloist include the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Mozart Society of Philadelphia, South Jersey Symphony, Curtis Symphony, Kinhaven Symphony in Vermont, the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra in North Carolina, the Old York Road Symphony in Abington, PA, and the Clear Lake Symphony in Texas. Concert highlights include performances of twenty Beethoven Sonatas at Rutgers University, the Beethoven Choral Fantasy Op. 80 with the

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Fort Worth, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall. In addition to its symphonic and pops concert series, the FWSO ...

, and her recitals for the Bach Festival of Philadelphia. Performances include: Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, Soviet Union - Moscow, Tchaikovsky Conservatory, London's South Bank Center, German tours, Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Swarthmore College, University of Pennsylvania, Manhattan School of Music, American University, Franklin and Marshall College, WGMS-Radio, Washington, D.C., WHYY-Radio, Philadelphia, Pocono Music Festival, WFMT-FM Radio, Chicago, Rutgers University. She has performed with cellist Kristin Isaacson in several recitals, including two performances in Texas in March 2011.

Honors

Spotz was finalist in the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition, and received special recognition in the performance of chamber music from Performers of Connecticut, Inc. Spotz is an "internationally recognized pianist" by the International Piano Performance Examinations Committee (IPPEC) of Taiwan.

Recordings

An active proponent of music by women, her 1999 solo CD for Leonore Records features selections of music of women composers. Her discography includes her performance on “Fantasias,” the CD by flutist, Adeline Tomasone.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spotz, Leslie Curtis Institute of Music alumni Living people 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists Rutgers University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)