Faculty Profile

Susan Merdinger
NMS Piano Faculty
Fellows Program Faculty

For me, the most important aspect of teachi ng is passing on the great legacy of classical music, providing the specific knowledge about piano repertoire, interpretation and technique, and demonstrating ways in which learning to play the piano relates to so many life skills that are important for one’s future, whether or not one becomes a professional musician. As a Faculty member at NMS, I value the opportunity to collaborate with other faculty members to exchange ideas and teaching strategies. This insures that all of the faculty are striving for the highest standard of excellence in music education and working towards the same goal of helping the students of NMS reach their highest potential. 

At New Music School, we provide students with an outstanding foundation and collegiate prep programs for students who choose a career as a professional pianist or musician. In all of my teaching, I incorporate thorough instruction in music history, theory and harmony, piano technique and interpretation, repertoire of all styles and genres, and audition/concert preparation. Additionally, I teach students how to practice, and how to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness when learning their repertoire. I also specialize in coaching chamber music for piano and strings or piano and woodwinds.  Most importantly, I try to emphasize that winning isn’t everything, but making beautiful music is. When students put the music first, then they generally achieve their desired goals.  My students have gone on to study at top schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin, University of Rochester, Carnegie Mellon, Yale University, Interlochen, etc. They have won many honors and received high scores at music teachers’ conventions and competitive auditions at local, regional and national levels. Locally, they enjoy participating in the Midwest Young Artists Orchestra, Band and Chamber Music program. 

As a professional concert pianist, I have toured in the USA and Europe to critical acclaim, and have given major solo recitals in such venues as Carnegie Hall and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, as a Winner of the Artists International Young Musicians Competition. Composer Marvin Hamlisch presented me with the Dewar’s Young Artists Award in Music, and most recently I was selected as a Finalist in the Web Concert Hall International Music Competition. A laureate at many other international competitions, I have been fortunate to appear as a soloist with many orchestras. I received my formal education at Yale University, the Yale School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Ecole Normale de Musique in Fontainebleau, France, and was a participant/scholarship recipient/performer in the Yale-Norfolk, Chautauqua and Fontainbleau Music Festivals. 

If you would like to contact Ms. Merdinger, please email her at susanmerdinger@newmusicschool.com.