Dr. Christine Vanderkooy

 

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 Profile

Pianist Dr. Christine Vanderkooy has performed as a soloist across Canada, and in the USA and Europe, including a European recital tour, the Eckhardt-Grammaté National Piano Competition, the Gaudeamus International Competition in the Netherlands, and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in the Dietrich Fischer Dieskau Workshop.  Recent performances include an invitation to New York City by the Leschetizky Association, a debut of commissioned works by David L. McIntyre at the CFMTA national convention, a recital for the University Music Society national conference, and appearances with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra including Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos, K. 365, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet, and Bach’s Concerto No. 5 in F minor.  Her first CD release, Schubert and Schumann, was recorded at the Banff Centre for the Arts and has enjoyed critical acclaim including a cover story for Tempo magazine as well as radio play on CBC Radio and stations across the continent.  Dr. Vanderkooy’s newest album release, Schubert: Late Piano Works, produced by Mark Willsher, was recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio during Toronto’s pandemic lockdown and comprises two works composed by Franz Schubert in the twilight of his life—the Sonata in C-minor, D. 958, and Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946. 

Dr. Vanderkooy’s national reputation as a piano pedagogue is reflected in frequent invitations to adjudicate festivals and competitions, including the Ontario, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec Provincials, the National Piano Competition for the CFMTA (Canadian Federation of Music Teacher’s Associations, 2011 and 2019), and as a judge for the Canadian JUNO Awards.  Dr. Vanderkooy has been invited to give masterclasses at the University of Lethbridge, Regina Conservatory, McMaster University, Bishop’s University, the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association, and the CFMTA national convention.  An enthusiastic supporter of amateur musicians, Dr. Vanderkooy taught and performed for many years at CAMMAC’s summer festival (Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateur Canadiens) in Laurentides, QC. 

Dr. Vanderkooy’s contributions as a writer and presenter include a conference presentation in Florence, Italy, and an invited presentation at the University of Arizona on the psychological and physiological aspects of Music Performance Anxiety, a presentation at the national convention of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations on Beethoven’s pedaling in piano works, and a presentation at Bishop’s University on Russian piano literature.  By invitation, Dr. Vanderkooy has contributed an article for the Royal Conservatory of Music blog, designed a course for RCM’s use entitled “Piano Pedagogy: Gesture and Sound”, and traveled with the senior pedagogy team across Alberta as a presenter for the RCM Teacher Professional Development Seminars. 

Dr. Vanderkooy holds both a Doctor of Music (D.Mus.) and Master of Music (M.Mus.) degree from McGill University, as well as a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.  Dr. Vanderkooy’s major teachers include David McIntyre, Boyd McDonald, Tom Plaunt, Sara Laimon, and Marc Durand.  Dr. Vanderkooy has held music teaching positions at McGill University, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Windsor, Lakehead University, and the University of Regina; she joined the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Education in 2017 as Associate Professor. 

 Research Interests

Solo Piano Performance; Collaborative Piano; Chamber Music; Piano Pedagogy; Music Performance Anxiety; The Development of the Keyboard; Russian Piano Music of the 20th Century.

 Education

D.Mus., McGill University
M.Mus., McGill University
B.Mus., Wilfrid Laurier University
A.R.C.T., Royal Conservatory of Music