Hamilton Tescarollo, D.M.A.

About Hamilton

Since his debut with the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), pianist Hamilton Tescarollo has performed as both soloist and collaborative artist in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America – including a recent performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium. He has appeared in international music festivals such as Orford (Canada), Eleazar de Carvalho (Brazil), Cascais (Portugal), Saarburg (Germany), Bratislava (Slovakia), and Ljubljana Old Town (Slovenia). A versatile musician who performs both the mainstream and the avant-garde repertory, he frequently includes the music of Brazil (his native country) and other Latin-American countries in his programs. He is featured in three published CD’s.

Currently serving as Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Tescarollo has previously taught at Arizona State University and at the Saarburg Serenaden International Music Festival in Germany. He is a frequent masterclass presenter and recently served as a clinician for the Gilmore KeysFest. A dedicated teacher, he received “Teacher of the Year” awards from the Indiana Music Teachers Association (2015) and the Schimmel-AZ Piano Young Artist Piano Competition (2001). His students have been prizewinners of many piano contests, including the Phoenix Symphony Guild Concerto Competition, Indianapolis Symphony Young Musicians Competition, Sewannee Summer Music Center Concerto Competition, and MTNA Competitions. He is the founder and artistic director of the Gene Marcus Piano Competition and Gene Marcus Piano Camp & Festival.

Tescarollo was awarded the top prizes at the OSESP Young Soloists’ National Competition and the Escola Municipal de Música de São Paulo’s piano competition, and was one of three finalists at the 1991 National Mozart Competition in Brazil. His main teachers include pianists Gilberto Tinetti and Caio Pagano. Additionally, he has also coached with Menahem Pressler, Paul Badura-Skoda, Lazar Berman, and Maria João Pires, among others.

I believe in teaching each student according to their individual needs, promoting both critical thinking and imagination in the music-making process. Discovering together what is "behind the notes" and working out solutions to musical and technical challenges is what makes teaching young pianists so satisfying to me.