Thomas Mastroianni - Piano
The Catholic University
Thomas Mastroianni is known for his recitals, lectures, concerto appearances and chamber music programs throughout the United States and in Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, South America and the Far East. He is Professor Emeritus of Piano at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, having served this institution as Dean of Music for nine years and as Chairman of Piano for twenty-five years. Prior to this he was Chairman of Applied Music and Professor of Piano at Texas Tech University.
A native of Pittsburgh, Dr. Mastroianni earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from Juilliard where he was a scholarship student of Beveridge Webster. After military service, he earned his Doctorate in Piano Performance from Indiana University where he worked with Bela Nagy and Sidney Foster.
Dr. Mastroianni is a frequent adjudicator at piano competitions and has held offices in national organizations such as the National Association of Schools of Music in which he was regional vice-chairman and elected member of the Graduate Commission. He is currently President of the American Liszt Society, and former Director of the Friday Morning Music Club Foundation. Dr.
Mastroianni is a co-founder of the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy and teaches, performs, and gives master classes there each summer.
Dr. Mastroianni has taught courses in Piano Technique emphasizing the physiological aspects of technique for the past thirty years and has taught courses in "Wellness for the Performing Musician". He has worked closely with members of the medical profession in doing research into pianists' physiological problems and has appeared with members of the medical profession in workshop and lecture presentations and is co-author with Dr. Richard Norris of two articles on the problems of the performing musician. He was invited to present a series of sessions on wellness at the 2002 World Pedagogy Conference. His article on "Memory and Anxiety" appeared in the ISSTIP Journal published in London.
Dr. Mastroianni has performed with the National Symphony in Washington, DC , offered master classes, lectures and made recital appearances in Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Rio di Janiero and in New York.
His many workshops, master classes and lecture-recitals have included topics such as "Performance Anxiety", "The Team Approach to Wellness for the Performer", "Chopin and Bel Canto", "The Italian aspect of Liszt" and "Musical Memory". He has been a frequent lecturer at Pre-Performance Previews at Wolf Trap Farm Park and at the Smithsonian's Piano 300 exhibit.