Bio
Chad Twedt (b. 1976) was classically trained from the age of six with private piano lessons, studying with Kathie Krocak, Joan Houtz, Dr. Ronald Williams, and Dr. James Winn. Chad won the 1997 MTNA-Young Chang Collegiate Artist Piano Competition for the state of Nevada, placing third in the Southwest U.S. Divisionals. Chad has performed Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 as guest soloist with the Reno Pops Orchestra, and he has been presented in concert by numerous venues, including the Tahoe Tallac Association (Valhalla Arts Festival, South Lake Tahoe), the Nevada Arts Council (Reno, NV), Winchester Cultural Center (Clark County Parks & Recreation in Las Vegas), Sierra College Dept. of Music (Rocklin, CA), and Franktown Ranch Center for the Arts (Washoe Valley, NV). Twedt received a Masters in Music Performance in May 2001 from University of Nevada, Reno. From there he also received his two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics degree, with a minor in Computer Information Systems. He was one of two recipients of the UNR Excellence Fellowship, the most competitive fellowship given to graduate students of any discipline at University of Nevada, Reno. He was also one of two student recipients of the 1998 Sierra Arts Foundation Fellowship Grant, awarded based on his piano performance. Chad began composing seriously after completing his Masters in Piano Performance degree in 2001. For the composing on his Ostinato CD, he was a recipient of the 2005 Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Grant, a $5,000 award given to three artists in the state of Nevada each year. Chad is an NCTM teacher, or a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, a distinction given to teachers who not only show musical competency but also devotion and professionalism in their teaching. Currently President of the Northern Nevada Music Teachers Association, Twedt balances his composing and performing with his life as a private piano instructor in Reno, NV. His articles have appeared twice in American Music Teacher, the official journal of the Music Teachers National Association. He has also been the pianist for the South Reno United Methodist Church since 1994. His past classical solo repertoire is well-rounded, and he particularly enjoys baroque and various styles of tonal contemporary music. He has performed some of the most demanding solo repertoire, including Chopin’s Third Sonata, Alkan’s Le Festin d’Esope, Liebermann’s Gargoyles, Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy, Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Sonata, Bolcom’s Garden of Eden, Bach’s Sixth English Suite and Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka, including Twedt’s own additions and changes to Petrushka, which made sections of the piece sound closer to its original orchestration but also made it more demanding to play. All of these classical works were recorded live and are available for purchase. |
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