UND Piano Program

The UND Piano Program is nationally and internationally recognized for its performance activities and community outreach. It will help you prepare the students for a professional career in the field of music. The piano faculty have substantial experience in solo, concerto, collaborative piano and chamber music performances with broad knowledge in music literature, music theory, piano pedagogy, music business and entrepreneurship.

Degrees Offered

  • Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance
  • Bachelor of Musical Arts (Piano)
  • Bachelor of Music Education (Piano)
  • Master of Music in Piano Performance
  • Master of Music in Collaborative Piano
  • Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy
  • Ph.D. in Music Education (Piano Pedagogy)

UND Piano Program offers:

  • Undergraduate scholarships, graduate assistantships and graduate tuition waivers.
  • Specialized instruction in solo and collaborative piano performance, piano accompanying, chamber music, piano literature, piano pedagogy, music business and entrepreneurship.
  • Opportunities to engage into collaborative piano on and off campus
  • Opportunities to engage into teaching through partnership with Popplers Music Inc.
  • Opportunities to perform in the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall which features an Imperial Bösendorfer piano with 96 keys.
  • A state of the art keyboard piano laboratory with new 15 Clavinova digital pianos.
  • Recitals and master classes with world-renowned guest artists.
  • Performance opportunities throughout the region supported by the UND Piano Program and Project 88.
  • Help on preparing for auditions, festivals, graduate schools, and competitions.

Prospective students can Schedule a Visit, and are encouraged to contact the keyboard faculty for an interview and a free sample lesson (Skype lesson is available). The UND Piano Program appreciates your interest and continued support.

Please contact us for any questions or special needs.

Dr. Nariaki Sugiura or Keith Teepen, Instructor

Keith Teepen

Duo Cantabile was formed in 2012 by cellist Simona Barbu and pianist Nariaki Sugiura, two musicians and university professors residing in Grand Forks, North Dakota. As a duo, the two artists traveled extensively and gave performances, clinics, lectures and master classes at many prestigious music institutions in the world, including Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj (Romania), Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim (Germany), Zoltan Kodaly EZI Kecskemet (Hungary), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China) and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The duo has also participated in the performance series North Dakota Museum of Arts Concert Series, Greencastle Summer Music Festival in Indiana, and Masterworks Music Festival in Ohio. The Duo’s teaching and performing activities resulted in receiving visiting professorships from East China Normal University, honorable awards given to artists who have made significant contributions to their institution. Duo’s concert programs often include unique cello-piano transcriptions of music by Rachmaninoff, Piazzolla, Chopin, Brahms and many others.

Matthew Sebald (BM in Piano Performance 2018)

  • Recipient – UND Music Presser Award (2017)
  • 1st Prize – Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2016)
  • 2nd Prize – Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2017)
  • 1st Prize – MTNA Music Competition ND State Division (2015)

Matthew Lorenz (BM in Piano Performance 2017)

  • 1st Prize – UND Piano Concerto Competition College Division (2017)
  • 1st Prize – Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2016)
  • 1st Prize – Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2015)
  • Finalist – Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2015)

Caleb Faul (BA in Music and Philosophy 2017)

  • 1st Prize – MTNA Music Competition ND State Division (2016)         
  • 1st Prize – Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2014).

Jonas Fisher (BM in Piano Performance 2019)

  • 6th Prize – 2017 International Solo Piano Competition Piano Division at the 3rd Annual Master Players Festival and School (University of Delaware, Newark – DE)
  • Finalist – Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2017)
  • Finalist – Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2016)

Colleen Hathaway (MM in Piano Performance '15)

Piano Instructor at Bismarck State College

Why did you decide to attend UND?

When I first decided to go to UND, I entered as a music major, but was not entirely sure that was what I wanted to do.  I knew I would have plenty of options at UND if I decided not to pursue music.  But I mainly decided to attend UND because I received a scholarship and a tuition waiver, and most of my older brothers and sisters graduated from UND and enjoyed the school. 

What did you like about the UND Piano Studio?

The UND piano studio was where I met some of my best friends (and my husband!).  We were all going through the same challenges with juggling classes, piano, and life, and we were all there to support each other like a family.  Every major has its own challenges, and, as pianists, who typically spend a lot of time practicing alone rather than in an ensemble, it was nice to be able to have fellow piano students to share our struggles with and offer encouragement to.  Not only that, but it was nice to know that you would always have friends to perform in front of that would give you honest feedback.  As someone who gets very nervous when I perform, it helped to have the members of the piano studio, whom I became very close to, in the audience, cheering me on and challenging me to do my best, and I was happy to do the same for them. 

What advice do you have for future piano majors?

Practice time is very important.  You will have a certain amount of time to practice every single day and it is imperative that you make it a priority.  Enter into college with the mindset that you will be spending a LOT of time at the music building.  So take the time to figure out when is the best time for you to practice and put it in your schedule.  This will help you find a balance between school and leisure time and make your life more enjoyable!

Farren Rowan (BM in Piano Performance '15)

Piano Instructor at Valley City State University

Daniel Ewens (BM in Piano Performance '15)

Parish Liturgical Music Coordinator at Sacred Heart School

Joshua Gratton (BA in Music/Entrepreneurship/Economics '17)

Piano Sales Manager at Popplers Music, Inc.

Caleb Faul (BA in Music and Philosophy '17)

Graduate Philosophy Major Student at Stony Brook University in NY

UND Piano Program has invited many artists from all over the world. Some of the renowned musicians who have visited UND include: 

  • Professor Edward Auer (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music)
  • Professor Lydia Artymiw (University of Minnesota Twin Cities)
  • Professor Guigla Katsarava (Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, FRANCE)
  • Professor Mihaela Tomi (Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Mannheim, GERMANY)
  • Professors Helen Sim and Ningwu Du (Xinghai Conservatory of Music, CHINA)
  • Stefano Greco, Yoonie Han, Hyperion Knight (Steinway Artists)
  • Takeo Tchinai (Japanese Left-hand Concert Pianist)