Institute pianists go beyond technique

Accomplished pianists from around the globe have gathered at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Music to teach, learn and perform at the college’s second annual International Piano Institute.

The 10-day program, which runs through Sunday, features expert instructors who teach gifted students the finer points of playing the piano, said spokesman Robert Brigham.

“It’s very rigorous,’ said Duane Funderburk, dean of the School of Music. “Students go to private lessons, coaching sessions, lectures and concerts.’

The institute’s 48 students, ages 10 to 39, hail from the United States, Mexico, Poland, Russia, China and Korea, he said.

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Many students, like 20-year-old Maria Wietrzynska, aspire to become professional pianists.

Instructors include APU faculty, as well as award-winning pianists Pavel Nersessian from Russia and Edward Wolanin from Poland, Brigham said.

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