With the guest artists, faculty concerts and performance opportunities, we are giving these young artists a taste of what we value at the School of Music and the possibilities for pianists who study here.
— Phillip Bush, Southeastern Piano Festival Artistic Director / Professor of Piano
With an impressive lineup of guest artists, the 2025 Southeastern Piano Festival offers participants and audiences an opportunity to sample a variety of musical contexts from classical and to jazz.
In addition, the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition and the new USC Piano Institute provide diverse experiences for some of the most gifted pre-college pianists in the country, who participate in private lessons, masterclasses and performance opportunities. The addition of the institute for the 23rd annual event, June 6-14, offers more top young players the chance to experience the festival and supports a founding goal of the festival to introduce and recruit talented pianists to the University of South Carolina School of Music.
“The breadth of the repertoire that we've presented has been quite impressive,” says artistic director Phillip Bush, a piano professor. “The guest artists perform a wide range of the piano repertoire from the 17th century to the 20th and even the 21st century.”
This year’s guest artists include Drew Petersen, Caleb Borick and Clayton Stephenson, who will perform diverse and challenging programs. Petersen's program ranges from Mozart to Liszt and will feature a minimalist classic by American composer John Adams. Borick's program is Beethoven-focused, including the challenging "Hammerklavier" (Piano Sonata No. 29).
“It is an athletic and intellectual feat to play the ‘Hammerklavier,’” Bush says. “Most pianists stay steer clear of it. Caleb shows no fear. It will be an incredible opportunity hear a piece not often performed.”
The festival will also feature performances by USC’s jazz and piano faculty and chamber ensemble, the Congaree Trio, as well as the Marian Stanley Tucker Lecture Series, which this year will be a panel discussion with USC School of Music piano graduates about their diverse career paths.
Classical in Columbia
Bush succeeded festival co-founders Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers following their 20-year tenure as artistic directors. When they founded the festival at USC in 2003, Lomazov says the vision was to attract talented pianists to Columbia, South Carolina, following the Spoleto Festival in Charleston.
“We felt that during summer, there was a lull, and we felt Columbia would be a great host for a classical music event,” she says. “When we brought the idea to the dean and to the community, it was met with great enthusiasm.”
The community's support of the festival led to its growth through increased interest, fundraising and top guest artists, including some of the most illustrious names in the classical piano world as well as young pianists who have since skyrocketed in their musical careers. Performers who are alumni of the festival have returned as guest artists, including Stevenson and Borick this year. Both Lomazov and Bush say it is rewarding to be a part of the journey for young artists, many of whom have won other prestigious competitions and achieved successful careers, often with international acclaim.
“Marina and Joe built the festival from the ground up. The amount of blood, sweat and tears they invested to build an infrastructure, administrative foundation and financial support from community is incredible,” Bush says.
Bush credits the festival team – associate artistic director Nicholas Susi, executive director Caroline Earp and manager of operations Elizabeth Churchya – with maintaining and building on the festival’s success. Also on the team are festival associates, a tradition started by Lomazov and Rackers that provides a learning experience for USC piano students who serve as interns and will perform in a lunchtime concert on June 9.
When Lomazov and Rackers returned as guest artists for the 2024 festival, she says they were happy to see the festival continuing to prosper under Bush’s leadership.
“Stepping down as artistic directors after so many years was bittersweet because we felt really connected to the community of Columbia,” Lomazov says. “Returning as guest artists was a special experience, and if I’m being completely honest, it felt liberating to not be constantly thinking of every single detail and to just enjoy the special atmosphere of the festival, created by the current wonderful leadership team.”
Showcasing USC’s School of Music
Among Bush’s goals for the Southeastern Piano Festival is to reinforce its focus on recruiting talented students to the USC School of Music by giving them a taste of what the piano program has to offer. Pre-college players can participate in the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition, the newly added USC Piano Institute, or both.
In addition to plenty of practice time and focused events, students have the opportunity not only to experience piano in different contexts and musical styles, but also to work with piano faculty and attend masterclasses.
One highlight for student participants is a lunchtime concert on June 10 at the National Republic Ballroom, a restored 1924 venue in downtown Columbia. Another is the opportunity to work with a Steinway Spirio Player Piano, where students can record and digitally analyze aspects of their playing.
“With the guest artists, faculty concerts and performance opportunities, we are giving these young artists a taste of what we value at the School of Music and the possibilities for pianists who study here,” Bush says.
Bush, a faculty member at the School of Music since 2012, says the comprehensive piano program includes a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates in performance and pedagogy. He adds that the collegial environment, supportive faculty and performance opportunities appeal to a diverse group of students with a variety of interests, backgrounds and educational goals. The faculty encourages a sense of community among students across different studios through bi-weekly combined studio classes and a piano hour, where they get performance experience and receive constructive feedback.
“Because the academic and performance environment is not overly competitive, it’s easy to make friends,” says 2025 piano performance graduate Will Byrd from Easley, South Carolina. “Everyone I’ve met has been encouraging and uplifting. I especially appreciate the faculty’s commitment to meeting each student where they are and helping them get the most out of their education.”
In addition to encouraging pianists to develop their technique and musicality, the School of Music also helps musicians develop a breadth of skills – including teaching and collaborative abilities – to make them stronger candidates as they start their career journeys.
Byrd, who will now pursue a master’s degree in composition, received the 2024 Undergraduate Collaborative Piano Award, the 2025 Arthur M. Fraser Award, and the 2025 Ensemble Accompanying Award.
“Over the past four years, I have dedicated myself to music-making in a way I never imagined possible and tried to take all the musical opportunities available to me,” Byrd says. “Each musical experience pushed me in a new way and resulted in both challenges and growth. These recognitions feel less like personal accomplishments and more like affirmations of the meaningful experiences I’ve been fortunate to be part of at USC.”
Sharon Yi-Hsuan Wu, a doctoral student in piano performance from Taipei, Taiwan, who received the Graduate Collaborative Piano Award, appreciates the opportunities to work with musicians, teachers and musical associates inside and outside the university.
“I like building relationships through music. I do my best to stay on top of learning the repertoire prior to the rehearsals and coachings, so that the time is wisely used during the collaboration,” she says. “The community and the School of Music continue to shape new ideas and create possibilities of what I hope to do after graduation.”
Nurturing diverse skills and interests
Professor emeritus Charles Fugo, who served on the School of Music piano faculty for 50 years, agrees with Bush and current students on the qualities that attract young pianists to USC. Over his years of teaching, he saw the piano faculty and degree offerings expand, the construction of a new state-of-the-art School of Music in 1995 and the establishment of the Southeastern Piano Festival to raise the school's visibility and serve as a recruiting tool.
The new building was a game changer, Fugo says.
“Our previous facilities were adequate but had limitations,” he says. “We were able to compensate for those physical limitations with the strength of our faculty and programs. The school grew a lot over my 50 years, but we’ve always maintained and preserved our mission to develop our students into diverse musicians.”
Byrd calls USC’s flexibility to offer students the opportunity to pursue a wide range of musical interests one of its greatest assets.
“For example, my bachelor’s degree program in piano performance required participation in chamber ensembles, large ensembles, one-on-one collaboration, and solo performance, while also offering opportunities to teach through the Center for Piano Studies and engage in extracurricular musical projects both on and off campus,” he says.
As part of her graduate assistantship responsibilities, Wu works with students from different instrumental and voice studios, focusing on the saxophone studio. She says the collaborative opportunities help students not only to learn new music and techniques, but to learn adaptability and be prepared to work and perform in a relatively short amount of preparation time.
“Over time, students can easily see the growth of their learning curves and professionalism,” she says. “It has been wonderful and very interesting to see people finding and forming their ensembles and pursuing career goals beyond what the degree requires.”
Teaching future teachers
Both Fugo and Bush credit the robust piano pedagogy program, considered one of the best in the country, as an important draw for top students. Led by professors Scott Price and Omar Roy, USC is the only comprehensive piano pedagogy program in U.S. with undergraduate and graduate degrees, intern teaching experiences for pre-college and adult students and college-level group piano, and teacher training in the performance and pedagogy of keyboard improvisation. The program also offers advanced training in teaching students with autism and other special needs. (Learn more.)
“All of my colleagues will say we’re here to open doors for students,” says Price, who has served on the faculty for 30 years. “We're here to support them in getting a traditional core education but also in helping them find other ways to express their interests and get experience.”
He adds that pedagogy students are attracted to the program because it supports a strong performance aspect for their degree. The variety of degrees offered, from undergraduate through doctoral levels, allows students to work closely with more experienced peers and stay updated on new developments in the field.
Students also have the opportunity to teach and participate in special programs such as the Center for Piano Studies and the Group Piano Program.
The Center for Piano Studies offers a combination of private and group study for beginners to advanced players of all ages with pianists and teachers who are seeking an advanced degree in piano pedagogy or performance. It is also an examination center for the Certificate Program of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto).
Wu, who started playing the piano when she was 7 – more than 20 years ago – says her experience as an administration assistant and instructor at the Center for Piano Studies challenges her and provides a new perspective.
“Working in the center allows me to teach for the students’ needs, communicate with parents and provide a positive learning environment,” she says. “Being able to share the knowledge and witness students making progress while gaining confidence and enjoyment has been extremely rewarding.”
Graduate teaching assistants also provide instruction in basic keyboarding skills for non-keyboard music majors and non-music majors at the University of South Carolina through the Group Piano Program. Olivia Colomaio, who earned a Ph.D. in piano pedagogy with a doctoral minor in music theory this spring, says her favorite class to teach was a two-semester sequence for choral music education majors. She was able to assist with curriculum adjustments and updates to ensure these future educators have the piano skills they need to succeed in the classroom.
“I was also able to teach the new curriculum to a full class of eager learners this past year. I was privileged to observe their development into confident young educators who know how to use the piano as a tool,” she says.
The USC School of Music is unique in that almost every professor I have interacted with genuinely cares about the health, well-being and success of the students.
— Olivia Colomaio (Ph.D., ’25, piano pedagogy)
Accessible piano studies
In addition, the nationally recognized Carolina LifeSong initiative provides music lessons and activities, including composition and improvisation, for pre-college students with neurodiversities, including those with autism and hearing impairments. The initiative was founded by Price 25 years ago when he was contacted by a local piano dealer seeking lessons for a young music savant who was blind and autistic. She was the first student, and now the program teaches 10-12 students each semester, some of whom later enter university programs.
“My goal for all our students is to give them a well-rounded experience, so they can be the best performer and the best teacher they can be,” Price says. “I'm also very proud of the fact that we have adult students with hearing impairments, ADHD diagnoses, dyslexia and other diagnoses who feel they can come to the University of South Carolina for their doctoral degree and know they'll be able to develop their potential.”
Colomaio, who is dyslexic, says pursuing music in higher education was difficult because of the complications of her disability.
“I constantly ran into roadblocks that I had to conquer — usually alone. When I finished my master’s, I was relieved and extremely burnt out,” she says.
When she was ready to pursue her doctoral degree, she was familiar with Price’s work through reading about best practices for piano pedagogy and adaptive and inclusive teaching.
“I very nervously called Dr. Price on the phone and told him I was interested in the program, but I had dyslexia. Memorizing is really hard for me, and I was worried about the audition,” she says. “For the first time in my higher education career, the voice on the other end of the speaker was completely unfazed. The USC School of Music is unique in that almost every professor I have interacted with genuinely cares about the health, well-being and success of the students.”
Colomaio recently received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the university based on her research on developing resources for students with dyslexia and equipping teachers with practical tools they can use to adapt their pedagogy for these learners who make up 20 percent of the population. She also included vignettes from lessons with students as well as anecdotal support from her own experience as a dyslexic pianist.
“I came to USC because I wanted to write a dissertation on dyslexia and try to help make piano study more accessible for people like me who learn differently,” Colomaio says. “Hearing the award presenter read sentences like ‘This is not a dissertation that will remain on a shelf, untouched, but will be a resource for teachers for years to come’ humbled me to my core.”
Since completing her doctoral degree, Colomaio has accepted the role of director of the Center for Piano Studies at USC, where she will coordinate and oversee the programs, support graduate teachers, continue work with students, and accompany USC choral ensembles.
Sing Thy High Praise: 100 Years of Music at Carolina
- To commemorate its centennial year, the School of Music is showcasing its programs, alumni, students and faculty in a special series of stories and performances throughout the year. To read more about the yearlong celebration, click here. The theme for the historic milestone, “Sing Thy High Praise: 100 Years of Music at Carolina,” is pulled from the first line of USC’s alma mater.
- Southeastern Piano Festival: Every June, the Southeastern Piano Festival and the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition transforms the University of South Carolina School of Music and the city of Columbia into a major cultural destination that draws in audiences and young piano talent from across the United States. For details and a complete schedule, click here.