Samuel Grodin (pianist)

Pianist Samuel Grodin performs David Conte's Sonatine at Alfred Newman Recital Hall, University of Southern California on October 3, 2013.

Samuel Grodin (born August 15, 1985) is an award-winning American pianist, lecturer and public speaker. Grodin has shared the stage with Emanuel Ax, Blanca Uribe, Dominique Weber, and Stephen Hough in collaborative performances and master classes^[1]. Grodin has studied with Nina Scolnik, Julian Martin, Robert McDonald, Antoinette Perry, Marc Durand, and Joseph Kalichstein from various summer music festivals and private studies^[1], as well as, Craig Richey, Dr. Sharon Mann, and Dr. Lucinda Carver during his higher education^[1].

Education

Aside from musical accomplishments, Grodin excelled in his academic studies and was the recipient of awards, such as, the 45th Annual Scholarship Award by the Long Beach Bar Association^[2]. Grodin was a President Scholar^[3], receiving a full-ride scholarship to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.

Between 2003 to 2008, Grodin attended Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (associated with California State University of Long Beach) and studied Piano Performance with Craig Richey^[1]. Within this time, in 2004, Grodin was the recipient of the Dramatic Allied Arts Guild Scholarship^[4].

Following Cole Conservatory, Grodin was accepted to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and and was the recipient for the Harold W. Scheeline Piano Scholarship^[1], where he completed a Master of Music in Piano Performance, studying under Dr. Sharon Mann^[1]. He was also the SFCM Student Ambassador and SFCM Graduate Assistant for the Piano Department.

As of 2014, Grodin has been a Ph.D. candidate for Musical Arts^[5] in Piano Performance at the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California, studying under the acclaimed Dr. Lucinda Carver^[1], the Vice Dean of Classical Music Performance at USC^[6] and guest conductor at the LA Phil^[7].

Awards

• 2003 Bellflower Symphony Concerto Competition - Winner
• 2008 Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition - Winner
• 2010 XIX Ibiza International Piano Competition - Special Prize Best performer of a Spanish work^[8]
• 2015 Classics Alive Artists - Honorable Mention^[9]
• 2015 Seattle International Piano Competition - Finalist^[1]

Contributions

As a Judge

• Jack Gard Music Competition - May 7, 2015, Grodin was one of three judges to choose winners of The Los Angeles Music and Art School’s (LAMusArt) annual Jack Gard Music Competition.^[10]

As a Performer

• Ensemble Parallele - between December 2009 to January 2010, Grodin contributed to Ensemble Parallele, a performance group in San Francisco where he played piano, synth accordion, celesta and triangle.^[11]
• The Trevor Project Benefit Concert - In April 30th, 2011, Grodin and many of his SFCM colleagues performed in a concert to support the Trevor Project.^[12]
• Bob Cole Conservatory of Music - April 7, 2012, Grodin took part in the Multi-Piano Extravaganza^[13]

As a Public Speaker

• 2016 MTNA Collegiate Symposium - Lecture, The Value of Teaching Popular Music, January 16, 2016^[14]
• Bob Cole Conservatory of Music - Alumni Lecture Recital, Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata, March 16, 2016^[15]

See Also

• List of classical pianists
• List of people from Long Beach, California
• Long Beach Polytechnic High School
• Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music
• USC Thornton School of Music

References

1. "2015 Finalists". 2015 Seattle International Piano Competition.
2. Wild, Shirley (July 13, 2003). "CHARITY NIGHT MARKS 10 YEARS OF `STRAIGHT TALK'". Press Telegram (America's News). Retrieved March 11, 2016 – via Newsbank.
3. "President Scholars Class of 2003". csulb.edu.
4. Wild, Shirley (July 6, 2004). "A GOOD TIME FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS". Press Telegram (America's News). Retrieved March 11, 2016 – via Newsbank.
5. "Keyboard Studies Department Member". USC Academia Faculty.
6. "Thornton School of Music - Faculty". Thornton School of Music.
7. "About Lucinda Carver". laphil.com.
8. "2010 Winners". Ibiza International Piano Competition.
9. "Division A - Winners". Classics Alive Artists.
10. "Students demonstrate talents during annual Jack Gard Music Competition". lamusart.org.
11. "Samuel Grodin - Official". Samuel Grodin - Official.
12. "The Trevor Project Benefit Concert". Bay Area Rainbow Symphony.
13. "Multi-Piano Extravaganza" (PDF). csulb.edu.
14. "2016 MTNA Collegiate Symposium" (PDF). mtna.org.
15. "BCCM Events". csulb.edu. March 11, 2016.