Visiting Artist - Music

Cathy Callis

Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College
6530 Kissena Blvd.
Flushing, NY  11367
Phone: (516) 382-2244
Email: callismusic@aol.com
Website: www.pianoteachers.com/cathycallis

As a classically trained pianist, I work with music and metaphor in the design and presentation of programs, concepts, and ideas. The goals of my residencies are to deepen and personalize the musical experience for the participants, to create opportunities for music to touch the heart, to open the mind to new possibilities, to engage the creativity of those involved in the experience, and to complement the philosophical goals of the host site. My residency work encompasses a wide range of settings and populations, from community groups to schools to health care. For example, a program for fourth grade students focused on Music in the Environment. A core group of students visited Sea World, collecting sound sources that became the basis of a piece created out of their own experience. Sea World Suite was performed for the student body to a backdrop of artwork created by the art class in tandem to the residency. The artwork was drawn as the class listened to pieces of music inspired by water and the sea. A different residency experience, Music, Poetry and Personal Expression was a high school residency offered in collaboration with the English department. For this program, students were invited to write their own personal response to a piece of music performed. In turn, excerpts from their writings formed a piece of poetry and prose which were then linked to other musical events, producing a "sound sculpture" on the community level. In the healthcare setting, a residency designed for medical students was entitled The Art of Listening. I believe that the musical experience is an extension of life experience, and plan my residencies in ways that enliven and deepen the ways in which we communicate, relate to one another, and contribute to a sense of well-being and creative renewal. Collaborative and interdisciplinary activities may also be used to enrich the residency experience.

My work as a musician, artist in residence, program designer, teacher, is designed to enhance the enjoyment and experience of music. I design residencies and offer innovative programming for concert audiences, colleges, corporations, healthcare and schools. (K-12). In my own concerts, I often provide a central theme with commentary which unites and relates central themes within a program. I offer workshops on performance skills, and teach courses on the musical experience. Occasionally, programs are offered in settings beyond the concert hall, allowing the music to be more intimately experienced, for example, in classrooms, or in a healthcare setting.

An original member of the Artists in Education Program for the Ohio Arts Council, I remain active in Ohio and New York-based programs. As a pianist, my experience includes a career as an orchestral musician, soloist, and collaborative pianist, including appointments with the Rochester Philharmonic, Chautauqua Symphony, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. I received a grand prize in the International Recording Competition sponsored by the American College of Musicians, and I perform in the United States and abroad, most recently premiering several works in Vienna, Austria. A performance at Steinway Hall, New York City, was highly acclaimed for both musical performance and commentary on the traditional listening experience and musical perception. I hold a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and was awarded a Performer's Certificate in Piano from Eastman. I serve on the music faculty at Queens College, have a private piano studio in Columbus and Long Island, and offer workshops on performance skills.