Bachelor's, Master's, or Diploma in Piano (BM, MM or Diploma)

ALUMNI

Alumni have gone on to have rich and varied professional and musical experiences as solo performers, teachers, collaborative pianists, administrators for arts organizations, and scholars all over the world.  See some of the CCPA piano alumni & current student highlights:

Pablo Suaste Cherizola (BM ‘18) won the Aeolian Classics Emerging Artist Award; the subsequent release of his album dedicated to Franz Liszt on Aeolian Classics. He was named Laureate of the Angelica Morales Competition, the UDG Competition; and the Esperanza Cruz International Competition. Past performance highlights include his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra of México and the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra under de baton legendary pianist and conductor Philippe Entremont.

Élider DiPaula (PD ‘19) is Music Director at Unity Lutheran Church of Berwyn, Artistic and Artistic Director of Project 88; won Roosevelt University’s Social Justice Award for his work with Project 88 bringing free classical concerts to communities in need.

Yusuke Komura (MM ‘12) received the DMA (piano performance) from University of Wisconsin Madison in 2016, and is currently working as Chief piano instructor at Yamaha in Thailand.

Hyemi Kwon (MM ‘18) was named an Associate Member of Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Elena Lacheva (MM '10) is the co-creator and Program Director of the Collaborative Piano Summer Institute in Faribault, MN. Additionally, she is on the music staff at Louisiana State University School of Music after serving for three years on the music staff of the University of Houston Moores School of Music.

Tong Liu (BM ‘14, MM ‘16) was accepted to and is currently pursuing a DMA at University of Washington, where he also holds a TA position at the University of Washington.

Monika Miodragovic (PD ‘20) performed in Weill Recital Hall and Stern Auditorium and is winner of Adult Division of the2020 International Talent Music Festival Rhein-Main with Clara Schumann Competition.

Esther Nyberg (MM'16, PD '18) performed in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Chicago Symphony Center, and Salzburg’s Wiener Saal Ms. Nyberg is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, most recently the 2016 Gilmore International Keyboard Master Class Fellowship, Chicago’s Farwell Trust Award of the Musicians’ Club of Women, and the Collins Award of the American Opera Society.

Bojana (Popovic) Rodic (BM ‘09) lives in Serbia, Novi Sad and teaches in the Music School Josip Slavenski since 2011. Her students won over 30 first prizes in national and International piano competitions. She was also a part of the jury at the International piano competition “Josip Slavenski” in Novi Sad.

Luis Arturo Suaste (PD ‘18) is involved with project dedicated to the victims of the war against drugs in Mexico.

Stephen Uhl (MM ‘ 15, PD ‘17) is the Collaborative Pianist at Glenbard East High School in Lombard. He is also the organist at the Union Church of Hinsdale after serving at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Schaumburg for the last five years. He has also been the staff pianist at the Smoky Mountain Orchestral Institute in Waynesville, NC, as well as a coach and staff pianist at Up North Vocal Institute in Boyne City, MI, where he worked with many talented aspiring opera and musical theater singers.

Xiaofei Xu (MM ‘14) moved to California, where she found a piano instructor position. During this teaching period, her students got distinction and excellence in the Royal Schools of Music Exams (ABRSM) as well as in the United States Open Music Competition in 2017. She also founded a new music school, J&F Musician.

Janna Williamson (MM '18) operates an independent piano studio in the far western suburbs of Chicago and works as a freelance collaborative pianist for singers and instrumentalists, performing with professionals as well as students in degree programs. She regularly mentors less experienced teachers and presents pedagogical programs throughout the Midwest, including giving sessions at the Illinois State Music Teachers Association state conferences in 2018 and 2020.

Vivian Yawei Zhao (MM ‘10) completed her DMA degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017.

Yuan Zhuan (BM ‘14) is currently pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas.

Héctor Melicoff Rosso (MM ‘21) won 1st prize at the Xalapa International Piano Festival 2018.

Seungjin Han (BM ‘22) won 3rd Prize in the Hanoi International Piano Competition, and the 2nd Prize in the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition (as well as two special prizes).