University of Florida International Piano Festival


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Roberta Rust has concertized to critical acclaim around the globe since her debut as soloist with the Houston Symphony at age sixteen and as recitalist at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times hailed her as “a powerhouse of a pianist-- one who combines an almost frightening fervor and intensity with impeccable technique and spartan control.” Her many remarkable recordings feature music of Debussy, Haydn, Villa-Lobos, Prokofiev, and contemporary American composers. FANFARE Magazine notes, “she proves herself a first-rate Debussy player…This is quite simply one of the finest Debussy discs I have heard in recent memory.” Solo recitals include performances at Sala Cecilia Meireles (Rio de Janeiro), Merkin Concert Hall (NY), Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), and KNUA Hall (Seoul). The Miami Herald lauded her as follows: “There was tremendous bravura, sweep and power…Here was a virtuosa.” Rust has played with the Lark, Ying, and Amernet String Quartets and her festival appearances include OPUSFEST (Philippines), Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, Festival Miami, Beethoven Festival (Oyster Bay), and La Gesse (France). She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras including the New Philharmonic, Philippine Philharmonic, Boca Raton Symphonia, the New World Symphony, and orchestras in Latin America. Demonstrating a strong commitment to the next generation with a highly motivational and inspiring approach, Roberta Rust serves as Artist Faculty-Piano/Professor and Head of the Piano Department at the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. She has given master classes at prominent institutions throughout Asia and the Americas. Her outstanding students distinguish themselves in competitions and festivals, and enjoy active careers in performance and education. Rust has served as a competition adjudicator, including events at the New World Symphony and the Chautauqua and Brevard Festivals. Born in Texas of American Indian ancestry, Rust studied at the Peabody Conservatory, graduated “summa cum laude” from the University of Texas at Austin, and received performer’s certificates in piano and German Lieder from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She earned her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music and her doctorate at the University of Miami. Her teachers included Ivan Davis, Artur Balsam, John Perry, and Phillip Evans and master class studies were with Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher, and Carlo Zecchi. She served as Artistic Ambassador for the U.S., was awarded a major NEA grant, and also received recognition and prizes from the OAS, National Society of Arts & Letters, and International Concours de Fortepiano (Paris). In addition, she is a music critic for Clavier Companion Magazine and can be heard on YouTube: RobertaRustPiano.

Roberta Rust has concertized to critical acclaim around the globe since her debut as soloist with the Houston Symphony at age sixteen and as recitalist at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times hailed her as “a powerhouse of a pianist-- one who combines an almost frightening fervor and intensity with impeccable technique and spartan control.” Her many remarkable recordings feature music of Debussy, Haydn, Villa-Lobos, Prokofiev, and contemporary American composers. FANFARE Magazine notes, “she proves herself a first-rate Debussy player…This is quite simply one of the finest Debussy discs I have heard in recent memory.” Solo recitals include performances at Sala Cecilia Meireles (Rio de Janeiro), Merkin Concert Hall (NY), Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), and KNUA Hall (Seoul). The Miami Herald lauded her as follows: “There was tremendous bravura, sweep and power…Here was a virtuosa.” Rust has played with the Lark, Ying, and Amernet String Quartets and her festival appearances include OPUSFEST (Philippines), Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, Festival Miami, Beethoven Festival (Oyster Bay), and La Gesse (France). She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras including the New Philharmonic, Philippine Philharmonic, Boca Raton Symphonia, the New World Symphony, and orchestras in Latin America.

Demonstrating a strong commitment to the next generation with a highly motivational and inspiring approach, Roberta Rust serves as Artist Faculty-Piano/Professor and Head of the Piano Department at the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. She has given master classes at prominent institutions throughout Asia and the Americas. Her outstanding students distinguish themselves in competitions and festivals, and enjoy active careers in performance and education. Rust has served as a competition adjudicator, including events at the New World Symphony and the Chautauqua and Brevard Festivals.

Born in Texas of American Indian ancestry, Rust studied at the Peabody Conservatory, graduated “summa cum laude” from the University of Texas at Austin, and received performer’s certificates in piano and German Lieder from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She earned her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music and her doctorate at the University of Miami. Her teachers included Ivan Davis, Artur Balsam, John Perry, and Phillip Evans and master class studies were with Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher, and Carlo Zecchi. She served as Artistic Ambassador for the U.S., was awarded a major NEA grant, and also received recognition and prizes from the OAS, National Society of Arts & Letters, and International Concours de Fortepiano (Paris). In addition, she is a music critic for Clavier Companion Magazine and can be heard on YouTube: RobertaRustPiano.