9:30-10:00 Pre-Meeting Discussion
Presenters: NSMTA Members Jennifer Cohen and Jia-Yee Tang
Achievement in Music Exams (AIM) Overview and Intro to Sproutbeat
NSMTA AIM Coordinators, Jennifer Cohen and Jia-Yee Tang will lead a discussion with an overview of AIM for the 2025-26 year.
Highlight: what’s new in the AIM Packet
Introducing Sproutbeat, an online resource to help students prepare for AIM. Attend the meeting to receive a discount code for new subscriptions!
10:00-11:00 Business Meeting
Meeting will be led by NSMTA President, Heidi Mayer
11:00-12:00 Program
Presenter: Susan Merdinger
Program: Four Centuries of Variations
Pianist and conductor Susan Merdinger presents Four Centuries of Variations, an engaging lecture-recital exploring how composers from J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel through Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Liszt, to contemporary voices such as Aaron Alter, Judith Shatin, and jazz legend Charlie Parker, have transformed simple themes through the art of variation into profound works of art. Merdinger demonstrates how specific compositional techniques, developed over four centuries, underpin virtually all musical genres. Blending performance and commentary, this presentation highlights the ingenuity, imagination, and enduring appeal of one of music’s most universal and fascinating forms.
BIOGRAPHY
American pianist and conductor Susan Merdinger is a dynamic and internationally acclaimed artist celebrated for her expressive performances, innovative programming, and diverse musical voice. Hailed by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for her “daring, enormously joyous presentation,” her artistry has drawn comparisons to Leonard Bernstein, Annie Fischer, and Nadia Reisenberg. Fanfare Magazine praised her recordings as “exquisitely detailed and full of life,” particularly her acclaimed Carnival album.
A prizewinner of the Artists International Competition, Merdinger made her Carnegie Recital Hall debut at 24 and has since performed in major venues including Merkin Concert Hall, Sala Felipe Villanueva in Mexico, the Scottish National Orchestra Centre, Diligentia Hall, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Her international recital tour, sponsored by the International Concert Administration, established her reputation as a performer of exceptional artistry.
Her performances have been featured on WQXR, WFMT, and BBC Television, and she has appeared as a guest on The Listening Room and Impromptu. Merdinger has performed for high-profile dignitaries and celebrities including John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Governors of Connecticut and New York.
Festival appearances include Chautauqua, Norfolk, Fontainebleau, Summit, and the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, she has championed works by Morton Gould, Augusta Read Thomas, Ilya Levinson, and Aaron Alter—several of whom have dedicated works to her.
As a chamber musician and concerto soloist, Merdinger has collaborated with artists such as Ilya Kaler, David Yonan, and Michaela Paetsch, and with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. She has performed over thirty piano concertos under esteemed conductors including Gabriela Diaz Alatriste, Francesco Milioto, Mina Zikri, Mattia Rondelli, and Lawrence Rapchak.
Recent highlights have included performances with her Sheridan Solisti Trio, the Highland Park Strings, and conducting engagements with the Northshore Chamber Orchestra, along with tours of California and Florida featuring her program All-American Piano Classics and performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Northbrook Symphony.
A distinguished recording artist, Merdinger has released over eleven albums, including American Melting Pot and French Fantasy, both lauded in Fanfare Magazine and American Record Guide. Recipient of The American Prize’s Lorin Hollander Award and two Gold Medals from the Global Music Awards, she is recognized worldwide for performances of passion, precision, and emotional depth.
An accomplished conductor, Merdinger studied under Robert Kapilow and Otto Werner Mueller at Yale University and the Yale School of Music. She has since guest-conducted numerous orchestras, known for her insightful interpretations and innovative programming. Her work with Sheridan Solisti reflects her dedication to fostering new music and mentoring emerging artists.
A graduate of Yale University, the Yale School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the École Normale de Musique de Fontainebleau, Merdinger studied with renowned pianists Claude Frank, Ozan Marsh, Constance Keene, Gaby Casadesus, and Walter Hautzig.
A Steinway Artist since 2012, Merdinger serves on the Artist Faculty at the Summit and Burgos International Music Festivals and is founder of Sheridan Music Studio, encompassing a private studio, record label, and livestream platform. She continues to captivate audiences and inspire future generations through her technical mastery, emotional depth, and visionary artistry.