Luisa Peng (Contributed/ETSU)

This fall, Professor Luisa Peng brings artistic collaboration to the stage with three faculty recitals, each celebrating a different side of music, including brass, voice and woodwinds. When Peng sits at the piano, she provides more than accompaniment. Her music speaks with other performers, weaving a shared harmony and rhythm. 

“… the reason I wanted to plan these recitals is closely tied to my work as a collaborative pianist. I play for students across many studios here… And over the past year, I worked very closely with the students of my recital partners,” Peng comments. “So our communication and collaboration have been very strong, so we truly help our students grow as a team. And it has been so much fun working with them.”

These recitals are more than performances. They are a milestone for Peng and a celebration of her life’s work as a collaborative pianist.

“So now these recitals really give us the chance together, like the recitals highlight my collaborations across different musical families, brass, voice, and whins,” Peng comments. “And I also hope the audience will hear how the piano weaves together with different instruments and voices, sometimes supporting, sometimes leading, and always creating something together.” 

As an avid advocate for collaborative piano, Peng resonates with the Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society when they say that collaborative pianists are like superheroes, all about helping partners feel supported, comfortable and free to do their best work.

For Peng, collaboration is an art form in itself. “So, for me, being a collaborative pianist is about so much more than playing background accompaniment. It’s about listening, adjusting, and connecting with each partner so that the music feels like a true conversation. For me, collaboration is an equal partnership,” she comments.

Whether you’re a longtime supporter of ETSU music or a first-time attendee, Peng’s recitals promise variety and heart. The first recital will take place on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 P.M. It will feature Peng’s work with Dr. Steph Frye-Clark on tuba and piano. 

The second will turn through the Jason Robert Brown songbook in “Story in the Keys,” as Peng performs with professors Karen Smith, Linda Barnett, Jamie Buxton, Bri Keller and Mareena Rodriguez, with special guest Katie Thorpe, an ETSU Theatre and Dance alumna. This will take place on Friday, Sept. 26.

Finally, Saturday, Oct. 4, Peng will take the stage with Dr. Heather Killmeyer for an oboe and piano recital. All performances will take place in Powell Hall at the Martin Center for the Arts and are free and open to the public.

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