Dr. Hilary Demske

Steinway Artist Hilary Demske is receiving widespread critical acclaim as a "pianist of rare technical finesse and musicality" (Deseret News). She regularly appears across the globe as a soloist and collaborative pianist, with American Record Guide describing her as full of "splendid panache and assurance", and Fanfare noting that "a composer couldn't ask for more committed or convincing performances". Hilary is regularly invited to perform in prestigious venues across multiple continents. Recent performances include recitals in Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Tasmania, Mongolia and Taiwan. She has performed in China annually since 2011, appearing in over 30 cities on multiple tours. Hilary has adjudicated at numerous national and international competitions, including the 2012 Gina Bachauer Junior and Young Artists International Piano Competition preliminary auditions, the Florida State University piano solo competition, and the Utah Symphony Salute to Youth preliminary auditions. An avid performer of contemporary music, Hilary’s debut CD ‘Henry Martin: Selected Piano Music’ includes highly praised premieres including ‘New Prelude and Fugue XVI’ and ‘Sonata No.4: At Midnight’s Hour’. Additional recording premieres include Benjamin Sabey’s solo piece ‘Ecstatic Aspen’ on the album ‘Winter Shore’, the hour-long “Cosmology” by Neil Thornock (Albany Records), and her original compositions.

This year she appeared on an Albany chamber disc featuring the works of Lou Harrison. Hilary holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Peabody Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, a Doctor of Musical Arts from The University of Michigan, and an Artist Diploma (Meisterklasse diploma) from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany. Her principal teachers include Julian Martin, Logan Skelton, Margarita Höhenrieder, and Samuel Wong. Hilary is currently an Associate Professor at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. As the Director of Piano Studies, she directs the piano major program and teaches piano literature, piano pedagogy, and chamber music.  

Dr. Hsiang Tu

Praised by The New York Times for his "eloquent sensitivity" and The Boston Intelligencer for his "impeccable technique," pianist Hsiang Tu has graced the audience with his creative programming and wide range of repertoire. Dr. Tu is currently working on the complete cycle of piano solo works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel and thematic recitals featuring animal-themed music and opus-one compositions. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, he debuted in New York at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center as the winner of The Juilliard School Concerto Competition, and he has performed in venues all over the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, National Museum Cardiff, and National Recital Hall in Taipei.

A prize winner at the New Orleans International Piano Competition, the Iowa International Piano Competition, and the American Paderewski Piano Competition, Dr. Tu has appeared with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and the World Civic Orchestra, among others. He has given master classes at Cardiff University, University of Southern California, Penn State University, Loyola University New Orleans, Utah Valley University, and Colorado Mesa University.

Before being appointed as an Assistant Professor of Piano at Virginia Tech, Dr. Tu taught at the University of New Hampshire, Utah Valley University, and Snow College. He studied with Hung-Kuan Chen, Jerome Lowenthal, and HaeSun Paik, and holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary and an M.M. and D.M.A. in Piano Performance from The Juilliard School.

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