THE TEAM
NICK LUBY,
CO-DIRECTOR
Concert pianist Nick Luby is an artist that breaks boundaries and challenges the status quo. He has won prizes in numerous competitions, most recently the 2019 Prix Ravel in Fontainebleau, France. Nick has concertized throughout the U.S. and in France, Italy, and the Czech Republic, and his recordings have been broadcast on public radio.
Nick holds the Graduate Certificate in Performance from the University of South Carolina, an MM in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, and a BA with honors in Music and a double major in Philosophy from Wesleyan University. His primary teachers include Arthur Greene and Marina Lomazov, and he has received additional tutelage from Nelita True, William Bolcom, Robert Levin, and Ivan Moravec.
Born and raised in Chapel Hill, Nick maintains a successful teaching studio in Baltimore, where he currently resides. His students have won international competitions, and he has been a featured guest artist at the Exploring Chamber Music Festival at the University of Northern Iowa.
SUSAN ZHANG,
CO-DIRECTOR
Acclaimed as a pianist with "astounding musical authority" (Columbia Free Times), Susan Zhang made her orchestral debut at the age of twelve with the Augusta Symphony. She has since been featured as a soloist with the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Aiken Civic Orchestra, the University of South Carolina Symphony, and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has performed in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center as well as numerous other venues in North America, Europe, and Asia. Her recordings have been featured on SC Public Radio.
Susan was a prizewinner of the Thousand Islands Chopin Competition, the Bauru-Atlanta Competition, the Burgos International Music Festival Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition, and the University of South Carolina Concerto Competition. Her summer festival appearances include Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Banff Piano Master Class, Burgos International Music Festival, the Southeastern Piano Festival, and Brevard Music Center.
Susan is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and the University of South Carolina. Her primary teachers have included Marina Lomazov, Joseph Rackers, Enrico Elisi, and Boris Slutsky. Susan currently serves on faculty at the Gilman School and Peabody Conservatory.