Rebecca Penneys Bio

Rebecca Penneys is a recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral soloist, educator, and adjudicator. For over six decades she has been hailed as a pianist of prodigious talent, has concertized throughout all the continents north of Antarctica, and represented the USA in Information Service State Department Cultural Tours over a ten-year period. She made her recital debut at age 9 and performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at 11. At 17 she received the unprecedented Special Critics’ Prize at the VII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, an award created in her honor. Other prizes include Nambung Chamber Music Award, on two separate occasions, Most Outstanding Musician Prize in Vianna Da Motta Competition, and top prize in Paloma O’Shea Competition. Critics worldwide have acclaimed her live performance and recordings. She made her NY Debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1972.

An International Steinway Artist, she has received accolades for her ability to teach Motion and Emotion, an approach to keyboard technique that helps pianists achieve individual performance goals without physical strain or injury. In 2021 she was inducted into the Steinway Teachers Hall of Fame. Having completed 43 years of full-time collegiate teaching, she retired in 2017 and is now Courtesy-Steinway-Artist-in-Residence at University of South Florida and Professor Emerita of Piano at Eastman School of Music. She was Chair of the Chautauqua Institution Piano Program for 34 years and started its chamber music program.

Launched in 2013, the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (RPPF), tuition-free for collegiate pianists, is held every summer at USF in July and is supported by Rebecca Penneys Friends of Piano, non-profit 501c3. Forty students have a semester of lessons with twenty-three eminent artist faculty in just three-week’s time.

Rebecca’s many CD’s, DVD’s, HD performance/teaching videos, and Chicken Soup for Pianists are available on-line and on all streaming platforms. Current and former students include prizewinners in international competitions and hold teaching posts worldwide. Rebecca’s teachers include Aube Tzerko, Leonard Stein, Rosina Lhevinne, Artur Rubinstein, Menahem Pressler, György Sebök, Janos Starker, and Josef Gingold. Learn more at RebeccaPenneys.com, RPPF, and YouTube “Her playing is simply revelatory” – American Record Guide

“Penneys’ playing is nothing short of amazing” –Fanfare Magazine  

American pianist Rebecca Penneys is a recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral soloist, educator,  and adjudicator. For over six decades her passionate and insightful performances have held  audiences spellbound. Hailed as a pianist of prodigious talent, she possesses a daredevil  technique, the sort of charismatic stage presence that demands attention, and an interpretive gift  that make her performances into musical revelations.  

Rebecca has concertized throughout all the continents north of Antarctica and she has represented  the United States on United States Information Service State Department Cultural tours.  Rebecca’s playing leaves an indelible impression. Her current CDs and DVDs for Naxos, Fleur  De Son Classics and Centaur Records, available on all streaming audio and video platforms, have  received worldwide acclaim and are eloquent testimonies of a major artist of intelligence,  originality, massive technique, and bravura temperament. American Record Guide says:  “Penneys offers an extraordinary collection of performances displaying an astonishing control  over piano sound. It is absolutely gorgeous and full of unimaginable colors. She sings through  the instrument, seemingly without effort. Her playing is simply revelatory” 

Born in Los Angeles, Rebecca made her recital debut at the age of nine and performed as soloist  with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra when she was eleven. At seventeen, after winning  several young artist competitions in the United States, she was awarded the unprecedented  Special Critics’ Prize, created in her honor, at the Seventh International Chopin Piano  Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Critics there said: “A sensational effect was created by the  playing of Rebecca Penneys. She is a genius of the piano.” Subsequently, she won the Most  Outstanding Musician Prize at the Fifth Vianna Da Motta International Piano Competition  (Portugal) and was Top Prizewinner in the Second Paloma O’Shea International Piano  Competition (Spain). She made her New York Debut in Alice Tully Hall in 1972, and in 1974 she  founded the acclaimed New Arts Trio, which won the prestigious Naumburg Award for Chamber  Music in New York City on two separate occasions. The Trio was Trio-in-Residence at the  Chautauqua Institution from 1978-2012. She was Chair of the Chautauqua Piano Department for  thirty-four years. 

A renowned Steinway Artist, and a member of the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame, Rebecca is a  popular guest artist, keynote speaker and celebrated pedagogue. She has received extensive  recognition for her ability to teach keyboard technique (Motion and Emotion) that allows pianists  to achieve individual performance goals without physical strain or injury. In 2013, Rebecca  formed the non-profit Rebecca Penneys Friends of Piano to support the Rebecca Penneys Piano  Festival and RPPF-Mini. The festival, held every summer from June 27-July 17 at the University  of South Florida, is tuition-free for collegiate pianists worldwide. Rebecca is currently Professor  Emerita of Piano at Eastman School of Music, and Courtesy-Steinway-Artist-in-Residence at the  University of South Florida. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle notes, “In an age of pianistic  sameness, Penneys shines as a true original.” Rebecca’s teachers included Aube Tzerko,  Leonard Stein, Rosina Lhevinne, Artur Rubinstein, Menahem Pressler, Gyorgy Sebok, Janos  Starker, Josef Gingold, and Iannis Xenakis. Here are interview and review links. Learn more at  rebeccapenneys.com, rebeccapenneyspianofestival.org and on RPPF Rebecca Penneys YouTube