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ARTIST FACULTY
MARTYN VAN DEN HOEK:
Artistic Director and co-founder of Musik Zentral. Born in Holland. 1st Prize at the 1986 Franz Liszt International Piano Competition. Studies in Moscow, Budapest and New York. Concerts, workshops and master classes all over the world. 20 CD recordings to date as well as live television and radio broadcasts worldwide. Juror at international piano competitions. 1988-1995 teacher at the Academy of Music in Vienna; 1998-2000 concert artist department of the Vienna Conservatory. Since 1992 Artistic Director of the "Romantic Piano Series" at Castle Niederleis near Vienna. Conducts workshops on posture and movement at the piano. His repertoire includes 50 piano concerti and over 50 different solo programs.
ROBERT WARD:
Artistic Director and co-founder of Musik Zentral. Born in Illinois, USA. Studies with Wilhelm Kempff (Positano), Dieter Weber (Vienna), Carlo Zecchi (Salzburg), and Dorothy Taubman (New York). Recipient of Austrian Government Grant and Fulbright Award. Active world-wide as soloist, chamber musician, orchestra conductor, master teacher and juror at international competitions. Introduced Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto on 10-country tour for U.S. State Department. Since 1992 directed nine international piano seminars in California, and coordinated the International Artists Outreach Programs for the MTNA. 1978-1987 Professor at University of Southern California. Currently Professor of Piano at California State University, Los Angeles, and Occidental College.
JON ROBERTSON:
Pianist and conductor. Town Hall debut at age nine and subsequent international tours while a student of Ethel Leginska of Los Angeles. Doctorate from the Juilliard School of Music with Beveridge Webster. Conducting studies with Herbert Blomstedt in Sweden and East Germany led to becoming his assistant at the International Orchestral Conducting Festival from 1976-1986. Conducting post with the Kristiansand Symphony (Norway) 1979-1987. Since 1982 Conductor and Music Director of the Redlands Symphony. Recently named Principal Guest conductor of Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. He is Chairman of the Music Department and Professor of Conducting at UCLA.
GEOFFREY HAYDON:
Both a classical and jazz performer with concerts throughout the U.S. and South America. Appearances with such well known jazz musicians as Joe Henderson, April Arabian, John Hart, Conrad Herwig, Randy Brecker, etc. Finalist in the 1984 Shreveport National Piano Competition. Doctorate from the Univerisity of Texas. Currently teaching piano, jazz history and theory at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He has collaborated with colleague Dr. James Lyke on the pedagogical publications "Creative Piano Teaching" and "Keyboard Fundamentals," and performs with the Haydon-Lyke Duo.
NINA SCOLNIK:
Pianist and chamber musician. Collaborates
regularly with the American, Angeles, and Lydian String Quartets, as well as
with such artists as cellists Nathanial Rosen and Gerhard Mantel. Widely recognized for her work with
injured pianists. A leading
exponent of the work of Dorothy Taubman.
Professor at University of California, Irvine, and the Taubman Institute
at Williams College in Massachusetts.
Graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School. Teachers include Artur Balsam, Joseph
Schwartz, Martin Canin, Edna Golandsky and Dorothy Taubman.
MARJÈS BENOIST:
Concert pianist and
pedagogue. Studies at Moscow
Conservatory. Chairperson of EPTA
(European Piano Teachers Association) in Holland. Professor at Amsterdam and Arnhem Conservatories. Specialist in teaching and preparing
young children for success in performance and competition.
YRTHE AYA ENGELHARD:
Professional dancer
and choreographer (Paris and London).
Professor of dance and Feldenkrais Technique at Amsterdam, Lyon and
Zurich Conservatories. Specialist
in baroque and modern dance, yoga,
posture and movement.