Jeff Kleinsorge
Director: Preparatory and Community Piano Program
I play, write, play some of my own stuff, and love aesthetic philosophy.
I also teach piano lessons that include important forays into composition and theory. I encourage all of my students to participate in local festivals and programs, and I help many of them prepare for scholarship and college auditions, public performances, and music programs such as Blue Lake and Interlochen summer arts camps and the Interlochen Arts Academy. If you’re interested in lessons, hit me up here. Look for “contact us,” and click on my name.
I’m an active member of the Chicago Music Teachers Association (CAMTA), and the Illinois Music Teachers Association (ISMTA), currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of both organizations.
Professor of Music
I was formerly a professor of music; now I’m the director of a university piano prep program. Even as I continue to teach college courses in the music department, I also teach students in the prep program and oversee its day-to-day activities. I’m passionate about teaching. As much as I love to play and write, I’ve always wanted my life and career to include teaching. As a lifelong learner myself, I’m fascinated by the learning process and love working with music students. I was formerly on the faculty of the New School for Music Study, a ground-breaking pre-college institution for piano study, where I was privileged to work with Marvin Blickenstaff and Louise Goss, nationally-recognized leaders in the field of piano pedagogy.
Education
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Ph.D. in Composition. Dissertation advisor: Jere Hutcheson. Performance advisor: Ralph Votapek
Manhattan School of Music, New York City. Master of Music in Piano. Major teacher in piano: Constance Keene. Master classes and coachings: Gary Graffman, John Browning, Marc Silverman
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Bachelor of Music in Piano, Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition. Major teachers in piano: Ralph Votapek, Albertine Votapek. Major teacher in composition: Charles Ruggiero. Minor in Applied Piano Pedagogy