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Pianist Sean Cavanaugh has been recognized for his electric and engaging interpretations across a wide range of musical styles. He has performed numerous solo and chamber recitals, as well as a number of concerto appearances across the United States.
Born in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, Sean began studying the piano at the age of eleven. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University under the guidance of Read Gainsford and Carolyn Bridger. In 2011, Sean was awarded first prize at the Florida State University Franz Liszt Piano Competition, and later awarded the Brautlecht Music Scholarship, for excellence in both performance and scholastic achievement. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and with honors in 2012. Sean relocated to Bloomington Indiana to begin his graduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music, where he was awarded an Associate Instructorship, and completed his Masters Degree in 2014. |
An avid chamber musician, Sean frequently performs with colleagues in a variety of chamber music settings. One of his most recent projects includes the complete cycle of sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven. He has studied chamber music with a number of influential educators, including Sung-Mi Im, Sibbi Bernhardsson, Grigory Kalinovsky, Kevork Mardirossian, Lee Phillips, Stephen Wyrzynski, Anton Nel, and Anne Epperson.
Sean has studied at both the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado (2014), and the Chautauqua Music Festival in New York (2016). He has appeared in a number of masterclasses with Jerome Lowenthal, John Milbauer, Nicola Melville, Ning An, Timothy Hoft, Roberto Plano, and Simone Dinnerstein among others.
In 2015 Sean began work on his Doctor of Music (DM) degree at the Jacobs School of Music, continuing his studies at Indiana University under Karen Shaw. In 2018, Sean tackled Bach's Goldberg Variations, and was the first Indiana University student to publicly perform the work from memory in over a decade. During his doctoral studies, he completed two minors: Music Theory and Chamber Music. Sean has also done extensive research on the Soviet pianist/composer Samuil Feinberg, a disciple of Alexander Scriabin, performing a number of his works as part of his final capstone document Samuil Feinberg: An Evolution of Style. In the Fall of 2019 Sean completed his doctorate after his final solo recital which featured a Bach Partita, Liszt's Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
As an educator, Sean has taught a wide variety of students of all ages and levels. A former Associate Instructor at Indiana University, Sean has experience in both large and small group class settings, as well as individual instruction. He has had experience teaching piano lessons to students with both physical and learning disabilities. He also has experience as the assistant to the Secondary Piano Coordinator at Indiana University, administering keyboard proficiency and placement exams at Indiana University. Sean has worked with the very talented young students at Indiana University's Piano Academy as a practice coach and counselor for several summers.
Sean has extensive experience as an accompanist and collaborator. He served as a staff accompanist at DePauw University from 2018 - 2020, where he accompanied all instrument and voice types for lessons, competitions, juries, recordings, and recital projects. Sean also has experience teaching at the university level. He previously served on the music faculty at Vincennes University, where he taught several music courses to both music majors and non-music majors, including Music Theory, Aural Skills, Introduction to Music Theory, World Music, and Music Appreciation, History of American Music, as well as Applied Piano.
In late 2022, Sean moved to the Washington, D.C./northern Virginia area. He currently teaches students of all ages and levels from his home studio in Annandale, VA.
Sean has studied at both the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado (2014), and the Chautauqua Music Festival in New York (2016). He has appeared in a number of masterclasses with Jerome Lowenthal, John Milbauer, Nicola Melville, Ning An, Timothy Hoft, Roberto Plano, and Simone Dinnerstein among others.
In 2015 Sean began work on his Doctor of Music (DM) degree at the Jacobs School of Music, continuing his studies at Indiana University under Karen Shaw. In 2018, Sean tackled Bach's Goldberg Variations, and was the first Indiana University student to publicly perform the work from memory in over a decade. During his doctoral studies, he completed two minors: Music Theory and Chamber Music. Sean has also done extensive research on the Soviet pianist/composer Samuil Feinberg, a disciple of Alexander Scriabin, performing a number of his works as part of his final capstone document Samuil Feinberg: An Evolution of Style. In the Fall of 2019 Sean completed his doctorate after his final solo recital which featured a Bach Partita, Liszt's Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
As an educator, Sean has taught a wide variety of students of all ages and levels. A former Associate Instructor at Indiana University, Sean has experience in both large and small group class settings, as well as individual instruction. He has had experience teaching piano lessons to students with both physical and learning disabilities. He also has experience as the assistant to the Secondary Piano Coordinator at Indiana University, administering keyboard proficiency and placement exams at Indiana University. Sean has worked with the very talented young students at Indiana University's Piano Academy as a practice coach and counselor for several summers.
Sean has extensive experience as an accompanist and collaborator. He served as a staff accompanist at DePauw University from 2018 - 2020, where he accompanied all instrument and voice types for lessons, competitions, juries, recordings, and recital projects. Sean also has experience teaching at the university level. He previously served on the music faculty at Vincennes University, where he taught several music courses to both music majors and non-music majors, including Music Theory, Aural Skills, Introduction to Music Theory, World Music, and Music Appreciation, History of American Music, as well as Applied Piano.
In late 2022, Sean moved to the Washington, D.C./northern Virginia area. He currently teaches students of all ages and levels from his home studio in Annandale, VA.