Piano Open House

Logan Skelton is a much sought-after pianist, teacher and composer whose work has received international critical acclaim. As a performer, Skelton has concertized widely in the United States, Europe and Asia and has been featured on many public radio and television stations including NPR’s “Audiophile Audition,” “Performance Today,” “All Things Considered,” and “Morning Edition,” as well as on radio in China and national television in Romania. He has recorded numerous discs for Centaur, Albany, Crystal, Blue Griffin, Equilibrium, Supertrain, and Naxos Records, the latter two consisting of collaborations with fellow composer-pianist William Bolcom. Skelton is a frequent juror for international piano competitions and regularly appears in such festival settings as Gina Bachauer, Amalfi Coast, Gijón, Eastman, Tunghai, Chautauqua Institution, American Romanian, Eastern, New Orleans, Poland International, Indiana University, Hilton Head Island, and the Prague International Piano Masterclasses. He is a popular presenter at music teacher organizations including numerous appearances at MTNA national conventions and EPTA World Piano Conferences, as well as serving as Convention Artist for state conventions in New York, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, North Carolina, Wyoming, Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Iowa. Moreover, he has given countless performances and masterclasses at colleges and conservatories throughout the world. His Centaur Records compact disc, of all 20th century American solo piano music, is titled American Grab Bag: Piano Music of Our Time. American Record Guide described this as a “fascinating recording,” commenting on Skelton’s “superb, wonderfully subtle and elegant playing … Bravo!” As a composer, Skelton has a special affinity for art song, having written nearly two hundred songs, including numerous song cycles, many of which have been recorded commercially and performed internationally. Critics have noted the close fusion of text and music in Skelton’s songs, how words are “… illuminated with brilliance and deep emotional power,” American Record Guide. In Fanfare magazine reviews, Skelton as a composer of song has been singled out for his ability to “… plumb the depths of emotion … these are exquisitely crafted art songs in the American tradition … we are in the hands of someone who lives and breathes song.” His works are published by Muse Press. He has creatively reimagined various piano works of Liszt, Mozart, Bartók, and contributed substantially to the upcoming Gershwin complete editions of Concerto in F, Rhapsody in Blue, as well as two piano arrangements of An American in Paris and numerous Gershwin songs. A devoted teacher himself, Skelton has been repeatedly honored by the University of Michigan, including the Harold Haugh Award for excellence in studio teaching, and the Arthur F. Thurnau named professorship, among the highest honors given to faculty members at the university. Skelton’s own piano students and former students have competed and won awards in many national and international competitions including Hilton Head, American Pianist Awards, San Antonio, Leeds, Montreal, Honens, Cincinnati World, Hastings, Washington, Astral Artists, Bartók-Kabalevsky-Prokofieff, Fischoff, Jacob Flier, Iowa, Frinna Awerbuch, Naumburg, Kappell, National and International Chopin, Eastman, Crescendo, Dallas, Missouri Southern, Los Angeles Liszt, Wideman, Concorso Internazionale di Esecuzione Musicale, Schimmel, Liszt-Garrison, Grieg Festival, Del Rosario, Beethoven Sonata, Ithaca, Piano Arts, Heida Hermanns, Dubois, Schmidbauer, Peabody Mason, Janáček, Seattle, Kingsville, New York, Oberlin, Idyllwild, as well as numerous Music Teachers National Association national competitions. His former students hold positions of prominence in music schools and conservatories throughout the world. He has served on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music, Missouri State University, and is currently Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Piano and Director of Doctoral Studies in Piano Performance at the University of Michigan.

Pianist Tomoko Kashiwagi finds great joy in playing diverse repertoire she encounters as a performer and as an educator. Kashiwagi has BM and MM degrees from Indiana University in Piano Performance (solo), however she knew from early on that she truly enjoys interacting with other musicians. Kashiwagi is the first recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2021, she established a new chamber music series, Chamber Music on the Mountain, at Mount Sequoyah Center in Fayetteville, AR to share her passion for chamber music with the NWA community.

Kashiwagi is frequently invited as the official pianist for conferences, competitions, and festivals throughout the United States. Kashiwagi joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville in 2012. Currently Kashiwagi is the Assistant Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano and holds the Emily J. McAllister Endowed Chair.

Bulgarian pianist Miroslava Panayotova has made numerous appearances as recitalist and concerto soloist in the United States, Canada, Bulgaria, Russia, Slovakia, Romania, and Mexico. As well, Dr. Panayotova has appeared at such music festivals as Beverly Hills International Music Festival in California, Music by Women Festival in Mississippi, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Vermont, XXI Festival Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Mexico, the Orford Festival in Canada, and others. Recent concerto performances include appearances with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and The Arizona Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Panayotova’s repertoire encompasses a variety of styles, including contemporary music and premiere performances of both solo and ensemble works. Enjoying a wide variety of performance opportunities as a collaborative artist, she appears on recently released CDs.
Dr. Panayotova is Instructor of Piano, Class Piano and Collaborative Piano at the University of Arkansas.

Xiting Yang is a pianist who fundamentally values expressivity and communication in performance. As an active concert performer, Yang regularly plays a wide variety of music as both soloist and collaborator. She has performed Gala Concerts in Candas, Spain which were praised by La Nueva Espana, singling out her exciting concert of “strength and momentum,” and describing it as a “masterful performance that delighted a big audience.” Other engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall in New York; Steinway Series in Tampa, Florida; Music at Midday Series in New Orleans, Louisiana; One Voice Music Series in Grosse Pointe, Michigan; Tutunov Series in Ashland, Oregon; Resonance Series in Seattle, Washington; Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, Illinois; Gibson Centre Concert Series in Toronto, Canada. Over the years Yang has claimed top prizes in numerous solo piano competitions including Schumann International Piano Competition-Southern China Division; Chong-Sin International Piano Competition in Singapore; Indianapolis MMC Scholarship Competition; American Protégé Competition; Edward Auer Piano Workshop Concerto Competition; various MTNA competitions; Indiana University Piano Concerto Competition. She received the President’s Professional Engagement prize and the Audience Favorite prize at the Seattle International Piano Competition which included return engagements in Oregon and Washington. Ms. Yang is a frequent adjudicator of competitions including the Seattle International Piano Competition, Claudette Sorel International Piano Competition and the Oakland University Piano Competition. 

Aside from her work as a performer and educator, Yang has created an ongoing online video series of piano interviews with prominent pianists and keyboardists, BACKSTAGE: The Life Behind the Music, which has been recognized for its excellence and contribution to the music field. She holds a BM from Indiana University, MM from Rice University, and DMA from the University of Michigan. Her primary teachers include Edward Auer, Robert Roux and Logan Skelton. 

A devoted teacher, Dr. Yang has worked with many successful piano students, helping them over time to find their unique artistic voices. She frequently appears as an invited guest artist at prominent music festivals such as the Palmetto International Piano Festival, Atlantic Music Festival as well as serving as Artist Faculty at the Montecito International Music Festival. Yang has served as Visiting Faculty at Loyola University New Orleans and State University of New York Fredonia. She currently holds the position of Teaching Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville.