9:00AM Coffee and pastries, catch up with old friends and colleagues and meet new ones
9:25AM Performance by SMTA member, TBA
9:30AM Business
10:00-11:00AM Presentation by Kay M. Zavislak, DMA, NCTM: When Is Stealing OK? Some Thoughts on Rubato
The concept of Rubato is vital in expressive and artistic music making. Many seasoned musicians and intuitive young performers rely on their musical instinct to employ this concept. However, what do we do if we are teaching students who might be less intuitive and need step by step explanation? My hope is that the discussion in this presentation gives some insights as a starting point in encouraging each student's interpretation in the area of pacing and time
American pianist Kay Zavislak enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, teacher, adjudicator, and clinician. Spending her formative years in Japan, Dr. Zavislak attended the Toho Gakuen High School of Music, one of the most prestigious conservatories in Japan. Dr. Zavislak then moved to the U.S. and earned the degrees Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.
As a performer, Dr. Zavislak has given solo and chamber concerts regionally and nationally, in addition to public performances in Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, and Japan. In collaboration with flutist Leonard Garrison and saxophonist Bill Perconti, Dr. Zavislak has also recorded two commercial CDs for Centaur Records. As a member of Duo Cascadia, Dr. Zavislak performs with Dr. Jensina Oliver, exploring a diverse piano ensemble repertoire and concertizes in the Pacific Northwest region. In addition, she is newly appointed as a coartistic partner for the Bellingham House Concerts Series.
Many of Dr. Zavislak’s university and pre-college students have received top prizes and honors in a number of international and regional piano festivals and competitions, such as Nomea International Piano Competition in Italy, the Memorial “Sanja Pavlovic” International Competition in Serbia, Stage4Kids Festival in Germany, MTNA Northwest Regional Competition, MTNA Washington State Competition, MTNA Idaho State Competition, Seattle Russian Chamber Music Competition, Spokane Piano Competition, Music Fest Northwest in Spokane WA, and Sonata-Sonatina Festival in Ellensburg WA. Some of Dr. Zavislak’s former students have been accepted with a full tuition waiver to Bachelor and Master programs in the US.
Besides teaching, Dr. Zavislak is in high demand for adjudicating, judging, and giving lectures and workshops locally, regionally, and nationally.
Before joining her family in Bellingham WA in 2013, Dr. Zavislak was an Assistant Professor of Piano and the Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton School of Music. In addition, she has held teaching positions at Albion College, Whatcom Community College, and the University of Michigan. She is currently on the piano faculty at Western Washington University. Dr. Zavislak studied piano under the guidance of Arthur Greene, Logan Skelton, Yoshie Kora, and Miyoko Hamamoto, harpsichord with Edward Parmentier, and organ with Marilyn Mason