Grinsteiner to headline Gladys Frisch Harris Piano Festival

(Hastings, Nebraska) – The Gladys Frisch Harris Piano Festival returns to Hastings College on Saturday, March 21, featuring guest artist Dr. Amy Grinsteiner. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the Hastings College Gray Center (1100 N. Elm Avenue).

Grinsteiner is a professor in the joint College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Department of Music in Minnesota. A versatile educator and performer, she teaches everything from studio piano and pedagogy to the history of Rock and Roll and 19th-century music.

The event offers a mix of public performances and educational master classes:
-9:00 a.m. – Festival opening, featuring a collaborative performance by Grinsteiner and Hastings College piano professor Dr. Jonathan Sokasits performing music by Francis Poulenc.
-10:00 a.m. – Master classes for high school students led by Grinsteiner and Sokasits. These sessions are designed to coach students on literature for upcoming recitals, Guild Auditions, contests or NMTA District Festivals.
-1:00 p.m. – A solo recital by Sokasits featuring jazz-style teaching pieces by Valerie Capers and Dana Wilson.
A full schedule and link for students to register is at www.hastings.edu/pianofestival.

About the Artists
Dr. Amy Grinsteiner holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington, Diploma of Postgraduate Performance and L.R.A.M. Teaching Certificate from the Royal Academy of Music in London, a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her performance career includes solo recitals and collaborations with members of the Seattle and Tacoma Symphonies. Beyond the stage, she serves as the faculty program coordinator for the Seattle Piano Institute and is recognized for her community outreach, including the "Goldberg Project," which connects elementary students to classical music through art.

Dr. Jonathan Sokasits is professor of piano at Hastings College, where he teaches studio piano and class piano, piano literature and piano pedagogy, as well as accompanies the Hastings College Choir. He has previously served as assistant professor of piano at Ithaca College, and as Instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sokasits holds Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a student of Howard Karp and three-time recipient of prestigious Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Graduate Fellowships. He holds the Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Applied Music from Ithaca College.