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Mozart, No. 19 in F Major
Mozart, No. 21 in C Major
Haydn, D Major
Beethoven, No. 1 in C Major
Beethoven, No. 2 in Bb Major
Schumann, A Minor
Mendelssohn, G Minor
Rachmaninoff, No. 2 in C Minor
Prokofiev, No. 3 in C Major
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue

Heather enjoys passing on to the next generation all she has learned. She has a robust private teaching studio in the Chicago area. She teaches students of all ages, beginners through advanced, meeting students where they are, singularly shaping the educational track to the individual.Heather’s teaching philosophy is to find what is alive towards music within each student and fan the flame, sharing her own delight for the content, skill in technique, and experience, while challenging students to new heights and encouraging them as they go. Often her students surprise themselves through the process. Each one enjoys what they are doing, and the daily practice and dedication must come from that place first.Heather has been teaching for 30 years. She has a vast breadth of understanding through experience of neurological development in the context of her craft, and likes to employ different teaching styles based on the presented needs.Heather’s studio gives two recitals a year, and holds a handful of studio classes through the year as well.

Solo

Spring/Summer 2024Tone Poems: Belonging

A recent and current exploration in looking for where I belong, being lured into fantasy realities, appreciating this earth, belonging here, thinking about who I belong to, choosing to belong in my own Life, and choosing to Live Now.Ravel, Gaspard de la Nuit, mvt. i: Ondine.
Liszt, Transcendental Etude No. 3, Paysage.
Brahms, Capriccio in b minor, Op 76 No 2.
Brahms, Two Intermezzi, Op 118, Nos. 2 and 6.

Heralding Bells

An exploration of heralding messages, sounds, textures, meanings, and uses of bells.Bach Toccata in D
Chopin Polonaise in Ab, ‘Heroic’
Liszt Paganini Etude La Campanella
Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso
Chopin Etude in E, Op. 10 No. 3

Joy

In an exploration during the context of my deepest grief, I found myself returning most frequently to these selections. Surpisingly, these pieces did not express composers' sorrow, but joy. It was in the midst of my most profound loss and pain that I discovered the greatest beauty and joy.Beethoven Waldstein Sonata
Brahms Variations on a Theme by Handel
Ravel Toccata from Tombeau de Couperin

Concerti

Rachmaninoff, No. 2 in C, Op. 18.
Prokofiev, No. 3 in C, Op. 26.

Official Bio 2024

Heather Peterson is an accomplished classical pianist who masterfully blends the highest level of technique with a fundamental expression of humanity, bringing profound depth, peace, and maturity to her performances. She holds a master's degree in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a bachelor's degree in piano from Northern Illinois University.Heather has performed hundreds of solo classical piano concerts, with audiences ranging from intimate living-room settings to collegiate and church settings, to chamber and orchestral collaborations. The recipient of 7 collegiate scholarships and 9 academic excellence awards, Heather performed concerti with the NIU Symphony Orchestra, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, and the Kishwaukee Valley Symphony Orchestra. As a young student, Heather competed in over 25 regional, national, and international competitions, placing in and winning several, such as Semi-Finalist of the International Stravinsky Competition of Young Musicians, 1st place Winner of the NIU Concerto competition, 1st place Winner of the Anderson University Concerto-Aria competition, 1st place Winner of the Kishwaukee Concerto competition, 2nd place Winner of the Mendelssohn Club competition, and she performed on live radio in Chicago as a winner in the Beautiful Sound Steinway Piano Young Artists competition.Heather and her husband Nathan live in the Chicago area with their four amazing musical children.

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Become a Patron of the Arts-- my personal art-- with your one-time donation or ongoing contributions. Your generous gifts have a profound impact on my work: they make it possible and sustainable for me to continue sharing the gift of music generously.In partnership and gratitude,Heather

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