Southern Illinois Launches Collaborative Piano Program

In the fall of 2009, the School of Music at Southern Illinois University will be offering a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano. From an article in today's issue of The Southern:

Paul Transue, assistant professor and a music coach in the School of Music, said the new concentration allows SIUC to help students focus on specific career goals in performance music.

“The new concentration in Collaborative Piano allows us to train pianists for work in opera houses as coaches and accompanists, as vocal coaches for singers, and as performers and accompanists in chamber and instrumental music settings,” he said.

Having such a concentration at the graduate level also helps undergraduate students, he said, because they can access more and more highly trained collaborative pianists to help with their own performances.