Dr. Stephen Pierce
Assistant Professor of Music
Piano and Piano Pedagogy
Frasier 152
970-351-2023
South African pianist Stephen Pierce hails from a small city near Johannesburg. He attained his Bachelor of Music (Honors) in performing arts from the University of Pretoria, South Africa as well as two Licentiates of Music from the University of South Africa (UNISA), all cum laude. His principal teachers have included Joseph Stanford, Frank Weinstock and James Tocco and he has performed in master classes with important pianists and pedagogues such as Joseph Banowetz, Leslie Howard, Andrejz Jasinski, Renna Kellaway, Anton Nel and many others.
Dr. Pierce completed his master's degree in piano performance at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (CCM) in 2006 and graduated with a doctorate in Piano Performance from CCM in Fall 2011. During his studies in Cincinnati, Dr. Pierce performed with the CCM Philharmonia as a result of winning the Piano Concerto Competition. He also won the 2010 CCM Chamber Music Competition and the Award for Teaching Excellence for Graduate Assistants at CCM in 2009.
In South Africa, Dr. Pierce has performed with many of the most pre-eminent musicians from that country including sopranos Bronwen Forbay and Hanli Stapela. He has performed with many important South African orchestras including the Natal Philharmonic, the National Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. Dr. Pierce has been awarded numerous awards including the Vice Chancellor and Principal's Medal for Academic Achievement at the University of Pretoria, and the D.J. Rhoode overseas scholarship for Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Africa.
Dr. Pierce joined the faculty at UNC in Fall 2011, having taught at Oberlin Conservatory during the 2010-11 academic year.