Together with Music Haven, we’re excited to present PianoFest—two days of events with Dr. Leah Claiborne! Join us on Friday, October 17 at Neighborhood Music School and continue the exploration on Saturday, October 18 at Music Haven. The festival concludes with a captivating concert featuring Dr. Claiborne. All of the events are free!
12–1:30 pm
TEACHER PRESENTATION: All teachers are welcome! Please register here.
Unveiling the Legacy: Integrating Piano Music by Black Composers into Your Teaching
This presentation will explore the rich and often overlooked contributions of Black composers to the piano repertoire. It will provide practical strategies for incorporating these works into teaching at all levels, focusing on pedagogical considerations, stylistic analysis, and historical context.
6:30–8 pm
PERFORMANCE CLASS: Open to the public!
Everyone is welcome to enjoy this session, which explores pedagogical approaches and performance techniques while featuring student performances with live feedback.
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12–1:30 pm
PERFORMANCE CLASS: Open to the public!
Everyone is welcome to enjoy this session, which explores pedagogical approaches and performance techniques while featuring student performances with live feedback.
2–3:30 pm
OPEN STUDIO: Everyone is welcome!
Piano Lab & Instrument Petting Zoo
Discover the joy of music at our Open Studio! Try out our interactive Piano Lab Demo and see how students learn in a fun, group setting with digital keyboards and engaging technology. Plus, don’t miss our Instrument Petting Zoo—perfect for kids and curious adults alike! Get hands-on with a variety of instruments and explore the sounds that bring music to life.
4–5:30 pm
CONCERT WITH DR. LEAH CLAIBORNE: Free and open to everyone!
Transformation: The Giants Among Us
A captivating exploration of the compositional technique of thematic transformation. The program will feature works by Bach, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Liszt, and others, highlighting the chronological impact and shared musical language of these composers. The performance will include spoken word explanations of the compositional techniques, and the chronological impact of the composers sharing space on the earth.
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Leah Claiborne, D.M.A. promotes diversity in the arts by championing piano music by Black composers in her performances, research, and teaching.
Dr. Claiborne was recently named the inaugural winner of the Stecher and Horowitz Power of Innovation Award through Music from the Music Teachers National Association, recognizing her artistic excellence, pedagogical leadership, nurturing spirit, and community service. This prize is awarded to a teaching artist under the age of 36 who is making a significant impact in the field of music and is the largest monetary award ever given to an individual in the organization.
She was also named to Yamaha’s 2023 “40 Under 40 Top Music Educators of America.” In the same year, she received the University of Michigan’s Alumni Artist Award, which is bestowed on a graduate who has made significant contributions to their field.
In 2022, she established the first Representation and Advocacy column (formerly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) for American Music Teacher, where she regularly publishes articles providing resources and support to music educators across the country. That same year, her article “What If’s: Intentional Inclusion of Black Composers in Music Education” was the featured article of the February/March issue.
Dr. Claiborne serves as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Frances Clark Center and as co-chair of the DEI track for the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy. In this role, she has published two online courses: Unsung Heroes: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now and Piano Pedagogy through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is also a regular invited writer for Piano Magazine.
Highly in-demand as a guest lecturer, she has led master classes, seminars, and recitals in over 30 states within the past three years. She is the founder of Ebony Music Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Black classical pianists and piano music by Black composers. Ebony Music Inc. sponsors the Ebony Prize for the best performance of a work by a Black composer at the national level of the MTNA Piano Competition. In 2024, Ebony Music was awarded the Sphinx Venture Fund to record and promote piano music by Black composers.
Most recently, Dr. Claiborne published a two-volume book titled Expanding the Repertoire: Music of Black Composers with Hal Leonard, one of the largest music publishing companies in the world. She also has forthcoming publications with Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.
Dr. Claiborne received her undergraduate degree from Manhattan School of Music, where she was awarded the Josephine Whitmore graduation award. She earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Michigan, where she was the first pianist to be awarded the Rackham Predoc Fellowship, the most prestigious fellowship offered by the graduate school. She received early promotion with tenure at the University of the District of Columbia, where she serves as coordinator of keyboard studies and teaches History of African American Music.
Dr. Claiborne is a Yamaha Artist.
