The Lethbridge Piano Intensive summer program provides students of all ages and skill levels an inspiring experience to learn, grow and make lasting friendships with other motivated pianists.
Held annually at the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts in the summer, the program brings budding musicians together with experienced pianists for hands-on training in the ULethbridge Recital Hall.
Music associate professor Dr. Deanna Oye is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Lethbridge Piano Intensive. Members of the FOURtitude piano ensemble planned the first program five years ago, which began online and has been growing since.
A uniquely ULethbridge experience
The Lethbridge Piano Intensive offers three streams for learners of all ages – Juniors (12 and under), Teens (13-20), and a three-day intensive for adult music learners. Participants range from less than one year of study to advanced pianists.
During the week-long intensive, students are able to stay on-campus, utilizing practice rooms, enjoying world-class facilities and connecting with musicians of all skill levels.
"Piano playing can often be a solitary experience, so we strive to bring a sense of community to the endeavour," Deanna says.
"Not only do participants get lessons with our artist-teacher faculty (Department of Music and Conservatory of Music teachers), but we also offer group sessions in drumming, singing, building technical skills, and exploring extended techniques and different style periods."
Students get to work in duos, trios and quartets, all making music collaboratively. During the program, participants can also perform in master classes and recitals.
"A lot of people study piano across all communities, large and small. We offer pianists an opportunity to hear different ideas, learn from their fellow musicians and take advantage of our fantastic facilities (this summer, we had six pianos and a harpsichord on our Recital Hall stage!)," Deanna adds.
Building community connections
The Lethbridge Piano Intensive is held in partnership with the University Music Conservatory. The Music Department and the Conservatory have long had a strong, collaborative relationship — from holding other music workshops like the Share Your Voice program, to jointly hiring world-class music educators and ULethbridge alumni — the connections between the two run deep.
"Both the Conservatory and the Department have great facilities, but many piano students in the community never have the chance to be on stage in the ULethbridge Recital Hall – or to be on campus at all," Deanna notes.
"The Lethbridge Piano Intensive gives them a chance to feel comfortable at the University, and to get to know and work with University faculty in one-on-one and group settings. Running the program through the Conservatory allows us to access a community brand that many people know outside ULethbridge."
Supporting strong musical talent
As the Lethbridge Piano Intensive wraps up for the summer, Deanna is looking ahead to future success.
"In the future, we would love to bring in more guest clinicians, build community partnerships and increase our visibility. We would also love to increase the number of pianists coming from outside of Lethbridge."
For students outside of Lethbridge, Deanna suggests making the Lethbridge Piano Intensive part of their summer family holidays.
"Come to Lethbridge as a family, spend the week in a lovely residence suite on campus, and go out and about the town while the kids are at our program. Or drop off your teens at residence for the week. We have fantastic chaperones and a schedule to keep them busy, having fun and making friends!"
Can't wait until the summer? Us too. We're excited to offer a "Slice of LPI", which is a smaller version of the Lethbridge Piano Intensive, held for one day instead of a week. Slice of LPI will be held on Nov. 1 in the Recital Hall.
Learn more about the Lethbridge Piano Intensive and how you can get involved: