BIOGRAPHY
Taiwanese pianist Bernadette Lo is Visiting Professor of Music at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, and leads an active career as a collaborative pianist, chamber musician and music educator.
Dr. Lo has extensive knowledge in both vocal and instrumental music. She has served as studio pianist for renowned artists such as Martina Arroyo, Cynthia Haymon and Carol Vaness, and has also worked closely with academic opera institutions such as Illinois Opera Theater and University of Tennessee Opera Theatre. In addition, Dr. Lo has been engaged by professional organizations such as Sugar Creek Opera, Opera Illinois, El Paso Opera and most recently, Knoxville Opera. And since 2008, she has served as an official collaborative artist for the Orpheus Nation Vocal Competition in Murfreesboro, TN.
Equally at ease with instrumental repertoire, Dr. Lo has served as an official accompanist for numerous festivals such as Tennessee Cello Workshop, UT Viola Celebration and Western Kentucky University Violin Fest, performed in masterclasses given by Mauricio Fuks, Heidi Castleman and collaborated with festival guest artists such as Victoria Chiang, Melissa Kraut and Ivo-Jan van der Werff. She has appeared in recital with acclaimed instrumentalists such as violinist Yuri Mazurkevich, David Griffin (of the Chicago Symphony), Ronald Barron (of the Boston Symphony) and flutist Tadeu Coelho. Dr. Lo has served as conference pianist for the 41st International Horn Symposium, the Southeast Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference, and the 2016 International Tuba Euphonium Conference.
Dr. Lo has concertized regularly with violist Hillary Herndon, which whom she recorded the album “La Viola: Music for Viola and Piano by Women Composers of the 20th Century,” receiving critical acclaims. She is the recipient of Sewanee Faculty Development Grant and Tennessee Arts Commission “Arts Build Community” Grant, which she used to support the commission of a new trio for viola, clarinet and piano by Libby Larsen. Dr. Lo is one of the founding members for the Waldland Ensemble, a group commissioned and premiered five new works, including Larsen’s new trio in Carnegie Hall, New York in April, 2015.
Dr. Lo holds degrees from the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urban, and the Peabody Conservatory. Her mentors include Ellen Mack, Gustavo Romero and Timothy Ehlen. Prior to her appointment at the University of the South, she was the staff pianist for Western Illinois University. Dr. Lo also serves on the faculty for Viola Winter Intensive in both Columbus, Ohio and Greenville, South Carolina and American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.