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Mark Stevens

Mark Stevens Headshot

Title

Assistant Professor of Piano and Music Theory

Office Building

The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center

Office

125

Mailing Address

Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center 125
School of Performing Arts-Box 2830
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

Dr. Mark Stevens serves as assistant professor of piano and director of keyboard studies at South Dakota State University. Dr. Stevens’ experience as a pianist ranges from traditional piano repertoire to contemporary music, including living composers. As an advocate for 20th and 21st century music, he performs a diverse range of repertoire, with a special affinity for American composers. In recital, he engages audiences through thematic programming, juxtapositions of unique repertoire and colorful insights about music, composers and cultural context. An active collaborative pianist, he routinely coaches and performs with both vocalists and instrumentalists. His passion for chamber music leads him to blend chamber and solo repertoire to create concert programs of unusual variety and depth.

An active and passionate teacher for two decades, Dr. Stevens has repeatedly been awarded for the quality of his instruction. His students have won more than 20 prizes in competitions including the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival, the Washington State Music Teachers Association’s State Recitalist Competition and the Northwest Bach, Viennese Classical, Romantic and Contemporary Piano Festivals. He is regularly invited to adjudicate and teach throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has recently adjudicated for the MTNA, WSMTA, OMTA, WMEA and NFMC. He has given masterclasses and workshops for universities, professional music teaching organizations, private studios, and music academies. As a graduate student, he received the University of Oregon’s 2017 award as the Outstanding Graduate Performer in Piano Pedagogy as well as MTNA recognition for his teaching excellence while earning a Masters of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His academic teaching experience includes piano literature, piano pedagogy, music theory, aural skills, opera coaching, recreational class piano and keyboard skills.

Education

  • D.M.A. in piano performance | University of Oregon | 2017
  • M.A. in arts administration | University of Oregon | 2017
  • M.M. in piano pedagogy | University of Nebraska Lincoln | 2008
  • B.A. in piano performance | Whitworth University | 2006

Academic Interests

  • Solo piano
  • Chamber music
  • Accompanying
  • New music/living composers
  • Piano pedagogy and literature
  • Music theory

Academic Responsibilities

  • Applied piano
  • Coordinator of piano studies
  • Music theory

Committees and Professional Memberships

  • Music Teachers National Association
  • South Dakota Music Teachers Association
  • Brookings Music Teachers
  • Washington State Music Teachers Association
  • College Music Society

Work Experience

  • Assistant teaching professor, piano and music theory and piano area coordinator, Washington State University, 2017-19
  • Instructor, Piano Literature, University of Oregon, 2016
  • Coordinator for education programs, Oregon Bach Festival, 2016-17
  • Piano faculty, Chopin Academy of Music, 2013-17

Areas of Research

  • New music/living composers
  • Integrating contemporary classical music into the teaching studio
  • Holistic pedagogy

Department(s)

Related Links

SDSU Piano StudiesPersonal Website