Meet Elizabeth Dorman (Nevermore Pianist)

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ELIZABETH DORMAN JOINS BALLET FANTASTIQUE’S MUSICAL ENSEMBLE AS GUEST PIANIST FOR BALLET FANTASTIQUE’S WORLD PREMIERE OF NEVERMORE: STORIES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE (PERFORMANCES OCT. 25-27, 2019 AT THE HULT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS).

ELIZABETH DORMAN BIO

Praised by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle for her “crisp, brightly finished” playing and her “elegance and verve,” pianist Elizabeth Dorman received the 2017 Father Merlet Award from Pro Musicis and was a finalist in the 2018 Leipzig International Bach Competition. Appearances in the 2018-2019 season included Leipzig Chamber Orchestra and Folsom Lake Symphony, solo recitals in Washington, California, and New York, chamber music performances with principal players from the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics as well as members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Upcoming recording projects include an album of Scarlatti sonatas, anticipated for release in Fall 2019.

Elizabeth performs frequently as a soloist and chamber musician and is a member of New York’s Bridge Arts Ensemble. Elizabeth was an Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre and has also appeared at summer festivals including Tanglewood, Sarasota, Aspen, Toronto, Icicle Creek, and her live performances have been nationally broadcast on public radio. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestra in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall, Leipzig's Hochschule für Musik, Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, San Francisco’s Herbst Theater, and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Elizabeth was also winner of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, the Ross McKee competition, and the California Young Artist’s Beethoven Competition.

Elizabeth holds her PhD in music under Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University, where she also served as Adjunct Lecturer of Piano Pedagogy. A passionate educator, she has previously held teaching positions at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Preparatory Division and has been piano faculty at summer festivals including the Icicle Creek Music Center and Summer Music West at the San Francisco Conservatory. She has participated in masterclasses with Robert Levin, Robert McDonald, Leon Fleisher, Wu Han, Arthur Haas, John Perry, Menahem Pressler, and Ann Schein. A native of San Francisco, CA, Elizabeth began her training with Paul Hersh at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Why are you excited to have been involved in this performance project, and how is it different from what you've done in the past?

I'm thrilled to be working with you all. First of all, I'm a huge ballet and dance fan and I always love collaborating with dancers. (I even studied dance for a while as an adult because I admire dancers so much!) It's a wonderful program with lots of juicy parts for the piano and I'm excited to see how it all fits together.

What intrigued you about connecting with Ballet Fantastique?
The PNW is very close to my heart as a lot of my family leaves nearby in Oregon and Washington, including my mother. I love traveling to this part of the country and it's always really special when I perform in this area because often my family will come to the performances. I've only been to Eugene once in my life and I'm excited to explore the city more.