Roberta Rust's teaching philosophy incorporates extemporaneous, traditional, and process methodologies. The extemporaneous style—improvisatory, spontaneous, and nondirective—aims to foster a sense of wonder and discovery. The traditional—passing on specific interpretive ideas and techniques—employs a direct approach using clear models and extensive demonstration. The teaching of process focuses on the development and gradual unfolding of an interpretive personality by relaying general concepts of style and technique and combines directive and nondirective approaches. Roberta Rust encourages students to define external goals and develop the internal motivation needed to achieve them.
What the piano department offers pianists
- Weekly piano studio class (discussion of pianistic and artistic concepts, peer commentary and a supportive atmosphere for performances of works studied)
- Weekly lessons
- Weekly Performance Forum (full student body and resident faculty attend this in-house concert)
- Annual Conservatory Concerto Competition (to select soloists to appear with the Lynn Philharmonia)
- Guest pianists (previous performers have included, Sergei Babayan, Jon Nakamatsu, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Gary Graffman, Robert McDonald, Boris Slutsky, Nancy Weems, Jon Kimura Parker, Eric Lu, Rebecca Penneys, Philip Fowke, John Perry, Sara Davis Buechner, Peter Serkin, Alessandro Deljavan and Avery Gagliano)
- Coursework in piano literature, piano pedagogy and keyboard skills
- Chamber music every semester and orchestral piano opportunity
- Piano Master Classes (including Arie Vardi, Jerome Lowenthal, James Giles, Uriel Tsachor, Lydia Artymiw, Anton Nel, Agustin Anievas, Daniel Shapiro, Margarita Shevchenko, Philippe Entremont, Leon Fleisher and José Ramón Mendez)
- New Music Festival, chamber music competitions and outreach concerts