The UMKC Conservatory is pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz joins the Conservatory keyboard faculty, Fall 2018 as Associate Professor of Piano and Chair of the Keyboard Studies Division. Dr. Rosenkranz is currently Associate Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Keyboard Area Studies at Bowling Green State University.
Interim Dean Diane Petrella notes, "Professor Rosenkranz has performed and taught all over the world, creating particularly strong ties to China that have allowed him to build recruiting connections with pianists from that region. His commitment to the performance and teaching of new music is a tremendous asset to the Conservatory, as well. I am confident that his leadership and reputation will lead the keyboard studies division to tremendous success in the coming years."
Thomas Rosenkranz was the recipient of the Classical Fellowship Award from the American Pianists Association and has performed throughout the world. His repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary music, often including improvisation into his performances. He enjoys a musical life as a soloist, professor, chamber musician and festival organizer and joined the faculty at the College of Musical Arts at BGSU in 2008.
He is a former Cultural Ambassador sponsored by the U.S. State Department and has been a visiting artist at numerous international festivals including New Music Week (Shanghai), Hong Kong Modern Academy, MusicArte (Panama) and the International Festival of Carthage (Tunisia). He has been a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony, Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra (China) and the National Orchestra (Lebanon) among others. He has completed three concert tours of China including performances at the Shanghai Concert Hall and Beijing's National Concert Hall.
His most recent solo release Toward the Curve on Oberlin Records features works for piano and electronics together with his solo improvisations. Other recordings include the premiere recording of Paul Lansky’s Textures with Hammer/Klavier for Bridge Records, a disc of contemporary music for piano and flute with flutist Conor Nelson entitled, Nataraja on New Focus Records, and a new recording of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians with Ensemble Signal on the Harmoni Mundi Label.
Also in demand for his teaching, he has given master classes and has been presented in residencies throughout North America and Asia including the Shanghai Conservatory, Sichuan Conservatory, Xinghai Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, University of California at San Diego, Princeton University and New York University. Since 2006 he has been on the faculty on the soundSCAPE Festival in Italy where he teaches courses on contemporary music and improvisation. In 2015 he co-founded the Maccagno Piano Days Festival and Competition. He has served on the jury for the Shanghai Piano Open Competition, Spring Festival Competition of Shanghai as well as the Oberlin International Festival Competition.
He studied with Robert Shannon at the Oberlin Conservatory, Yvonne Loriod in Paris and with Nelita True at the Eastman School of Music where he earned a masters, performers certificate, and a doctorate in music performance.
Welcome, Dr. Rosenkranz.