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1930, Chronister


A Piano Teacher’s Legacy: Selected Writings by Richard Chronister, 20051

Richard Chronister (1930 – 1999): American Piano Pedagogue

The main role of the teacher is to make the student want to play the pieces. When a teacher’s mouth is open, learning is probably not going on. The teacher’s words prepare students and help them think, but it is only what the students tell themselves when we are not around that really counts.

Richard Chronister 2

  • Studied music at University of Tulsa, receiving his Bachelors in 1952 and his Masters in 1955.
  • Taught at Westminster Choir College in 1956 and University of Tulsa in 1959, where he founded and directed the piano pedagogy program (the first to be recognized by the National Association of Schools of Music).
  • In 1961, appointed educational director in charge of teacher training at the New School for Music Study.
  • In 1968, co-founder and educational director for the National Keyboard Arts Associates, while also director of piano pedagogy for Westminster Choir College.
  • In 1980, co-founder and executive director for the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy.
  • Founding Board member for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy.
  • Founder, editor and publisher of Keyboard Companion.
  • Published posthumously: A Piano Teacher’s Legacy (Selected Writings by Richard Chronister), containing previously unpublished lecture notes from 1970 – 1999, articles and addresses