Meryl Ettelson, Pianist
Meryl Ettelson made her debut as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age thirteen. At fourteen she gave her first recital at the Philadelphia Conservatory, where she was a student of Annetta Lockhart.
At the New School of Music she studied chamber music with Jascha Brodsky, first violinist of the Curtis String Quartet.
In her teens she
studied with Eugene Helmer, renowned for his expertise on technique.
At Indiana University, where Ms. Ettelson pursued her Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degrees in piano performance, she was awarded the Performer’s Certificate in recognition of her outstanding musical abilities. While there she was fortunate to study with Sidney Foster, Jorge Bolet, and Menahen Pressler.
Ms. Ettelson has performed both as soloist and collaborative musician all over the United States and Europe. Critics have called her “an engaging performer who plays with richness and depth. . . and has a gift for sensitive phrasing and rubato.” Her winning performance in the International Piano Recording Competition was judged to be “elegant and remarkable - both technically and musically.” Others have said she plays in . . . “a beautiful natural way - wonderful command and sensitivity.” Ms. Ettelson has been employed by the University of Delaware, the University of Akron, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi State University, the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Houston Community College, and the University of Houston. Since 2004 Ms. Ettelson’s main activity has been as the pianist in the White Oak Trio.