Keyboard

Keyboard students at the University of Evansville study with highly skilled artist teacher-performers in the context of a small, closely-knit liberal arts institution. Our faculty have years of experience and a passion for teaching while maintaining active performing careers as soloists and collaborative artists in recital and recent recordings.

In-depth study of both solo and collaborative literature

  • The low student-faculty ratio and teaching emphasis of the university give all keyboard students the benefit of close personal contact with their professors and each other. There is ample opportunity to participate in master classes, weekly studio classes, weekly student recitals, a concerto competition, and degree recitals. Keyboard students at UE also have the opportunity to collaborate with singers and instrumentalists, benefiting from frequent coaching by different faculty members.

Access to fine instruments

  • Students perform on two well-maintained Steinway concert grand pianos, a Bosendorfer concert grand, and four organs made by Holtkamp, Fisk, and Reuter as well as two harpsichords made by Dowd and Jones. Pianists practice in reserved practice rooms with Steinway grands in excellent condition.

Frequent interaction with visiting artists

  • In addition to frequent faculty solo and chamber performances, the Music Conservatory hosts the UE Piano Series and other guest recitals, lectures and master classes by world-renowned artists. Visiting pianists have included Philip Thomson, Frederic Chiu, Awadagin Pratt, Jon Nakamatsu, Marc-André Hamelin, and Abbey Simon. Visiting organists have included William Albright, Robert Clark, David Craighead, Robert Glasgow, Simon Preston, and Russell Saunders.

World-class soloists

  • UE students also have the opportunity to hear world-class pianists solo with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Artists have included Alexander Toradze, Garrick Ohlsson, Susan Starr, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, James Tocco, Andre Watts, Spencer Myer, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Misha & Cipa Dichter (in January 2018).
Anne Fiedler, Professor of Music

Mrs. Anne Fiedler, MMus

Professor of Music

Krannert Hall of Art and Music, Room 131
812-488-2244
af23@evansville.edu
Fiedler Fiedler Full Biography

Robert Nicholls, Adjunct Instructor of Music

Mr. Robert Nicholls

Adjunct Instructor of Music

812-488-5209
rn60@evansville.edu
Nicholls Nicholls Full Biography

Related Links

Student playing piano

Group of UE Music students around piano

Anne Hastings Fiedler is currently Professor of Music and head of the keyboard area at the University of Evansville. She is a recipient of the prestigious Exemplary Teacher Award given by University of Evansville and also the Outstanding Teacher Award given by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She was honored as Artist of the Year at the 2016 Mayor’s Arts Awards and from 2013-2018 held the title of Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music.

An active performer, Professor Fiedler was finalist and prizewinner in the National Beethoven Piano Sonata Competition and has collaborated nationally with a variety of soloists and ensembles, notably in performances at International Trumpet Guild Conference and several International Double Reed Society Conferences. She can be heard on the CD entitled Oboe Serenade. Professor Fiedler has been featured soloist on numerous occasions with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Evansville Chamber Orchestra and the University of Evansville Orchestra. She performs frequently as collaborative pianist with faculty and guest artists on the First Tuesday Series and Tuesday Night Concert Series sponsored by the Music Conservatory. Fiedler is also principal keyboard and assistant principal second violin of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Professor Fiedler's diverse areas of interest and teaching experience include studio piano, music theory, piano pedagogy, and collaborative piano. She has reviewed collegiate theory texts for McGraw-Hill Publishing and regularly presents master classes and serves as an adjudicator for local, state, and regional piano competitions. She is co-founder and first president of the Greater Evansville Chapter of the Indiana Music Teachers Association and has presented at IMTA state conferences.

Professor Fiedler holds Bachelor of Music with Highest Honors and Master of Music Degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently teaches courses in applied piano and music theory.

Robert Nicholls is Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Evansville. He began his musical education as a Chorister at Westminster Abbey with Simon Preston. He graduated from Oundle School (Music Exhibitioner) and Cambridge University (Choral Exhibitioner at Gonville and Caius College).

Robert’s organ teachers include James Parsons, Philip Scriven, Roberta Gary, and John Schwandt (improvisation). Robert’s compositions for both organ and choir have been performed and broadcast in both the US and Europe, and at RSCM America summer residential courses. In addition to responsibilities for music at First Pres, Robert accompanies silent movies.

He was an Adjunct Lecturer in Music (Organ) at the IU Jacobs School of Music 2015-2017, teaching graduate-level courses in keyboard skills, improvisation, and the Sacred Music Practicum. Robert is the current Dean of the Evansville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Office Phone:
812-488-2754

Office Email:
music@evansville.edu

Office Location:
Room 133, Krannert Hall of Art and Music