Biography

Elizabeth was finalist of the Dutch Petrof Piano Competition at the age of nine. In May of 2000, Elizabeth performed for the Dutch Queen Beatrix and the Japanese Emperor and Empress during their state visit to the Netherlands. She was prizewinner of the Dutch Interprovincial Music Competition and was awarded first prize at the National Music Competition for Young People of the Netherlands (SJMN) in 2000. As a direct result, she was able to give several performances in, amongst others, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam -broadcasted live by national radio- and De Doelen in Rotterdam.

At the time, Elizabeth also formed a piano duo with Maureen Wong, which won the first prize at the finals of the National SJMN competition in December 2001. The jury selected them to represent the Netherlands at the International Piano Duo Competition of the EMCY (European Union of Music Competitions for Youth) in Spain.

Winning the national Princess Christina Competition in 2002 gave her the opportunity to perform at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, New York. She toured with the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands as their guest soloist in 2003, performing Beethoven’s third piano concerto under the baton of Jurjen Hempel and Ernst van Tiel.

Elizabeth participated in the summer festivals of the International Keyboard Institute at the Mannes School of Music in New York in the summers of 2001 and 2002, and of the VIP-academy (Vienna International Pianists) in the summer of 2003, after which she gave concerts in Finland on invitation of the Dutch Embassy.

Elizabeth obtained her teaching degree (cum laude) in 2004 and graduated from the Royal Conservatory of The Netherlands with a BA in piano performance in May of 2005 under the guidance of Ellen Corver. In the summer of 2005, Elizabeth moved to the United States to study with Alexander Braginsky at the Hamline International Piano Institute in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At Hamline University, she also completed a Masters degree in Liberal Studies and taught piano performance courses in the music department.

Elizabeth completed a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree in piano performance with a secondary area in pedagogy and education at the University of Minnesota in 2010. She was a full-time teaching assistant during the first two years of her degree. She was appointed coordinator of the class piano program at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music during her final year, supervising all graduate teaching assistants and piano classes during faculty member Dr.Shockley’s sabbatical leave. Elizabeth was invited to give several solo recitals in Okayama, Japan in May of 2010 which were sold out and positively received.

Elizabeth participated in the Schubert Club Competition in Saint Paul in 2006, 2009 and 2010. She obtained the second prize on all three entries. In 2007, she won the first prize at the Thursday Musical competition in Minneapolis.

After a two year intermezzo in The Netherlands, where Elizabeth continued to give solo and chamber music recitals, collaborated with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, was engaged as the pianist in interdisciplinary performances, involving theater, dance and other forms of art, build up a successful private piano studio, and guest taught at the School of Music of Gouda and the School of Music of Schiedam, she returned to Minnesota in the fall of 2012.

In 2014, Elizabeth accepted faculty positions at both the University of Minnesota’s School of Music and Normandale Community College, while also maintaining a private teaching practice for young talent in Edina. She has been awarded the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in teaching twice within the past 5 years.

Elizabeth is an active member of the MMTF (Minnesota Music Teachers Forum) and MMTA (Minnesota Music Teachers Association), where she is on the Judge Education Committee, and is a frequently asked judges for youth piano competitions.

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