PIANIST

Pianist Chaz Fautch completed his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with a full-ride scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. While completing his Master’s degree, he studied under Venezuelan concert pianist Judit Jaimes, a graduate of the Curtis Institute whose teachers included Isabelle Vengerova and Arthur Rubinstein. Mr. Fautch finished his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s University where he graduated with Distinction and a degree in Piano Performance in 2005. During his career at St. John’s, he studied with international concert pianist Dr. Robert Koopmann. Other teachers include Jacob Lateiner at The Juilliard School, and Lydia Artymiw at the University of Minnesota School of Music. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Augsburg College. 

In addition to solo piano, Chaz Fautch has appeared as a guest soloist with the East Metro Symphony Orchestra, having performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E Minor under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes. He’s appeared as a guest performer for the Rome International Music Festival in Italy and accompanied Grammy-award winning vocalist Kurt Ollmann, who’s recording and operatic performances feature collabarations with greats such as Leonard Bernstein and Claudio Abbado. Mr. Fautch’s passion for sharing music extends beyond the concert stage. He began teaching at the age of 15 and has taught hundreds of students of all ages and skill levels. He has also served as a judge for competitions and piano examinations including the Minnesota Music Teachers Association and National Federation of Music Clubs. Mr. Fautch has been a guest presenter multiple times at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, where he shared in-depth performance research on works by Chopin and Beethoven, which was fully funded by the two largest student grants ever awarded by St. John’s University.

In 2017, he joined concert cellist Maryne Mossey to present a collaborative performance, Concert Russe, featuring a program featuring great virtuosic Russian composers including Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Scriabin. The concert, free to the public thanks to the generous contributions of patron donations, received great acclaim and was recognized publicly for its stunning performance and musical interpretation.

As a collaborative pianist and soloist, Mr. Fautch took part in the annual Twin Cities-based Summer Salon benefit concerts, performing solos by Rachmaninoff and Chopin, and chamber music including the international premier of composer Jan Gilbert’s piece, “Heloise: Sun” with soprano Maire Clement. The concerts were hosted by Minnesota Public Radio’s Julie Amacher, producer of New Classical Tracks, alongside other artists including the Dolce Wind Quintet, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, and fellow guest performers of Christopher O’Riley’s From The Top on NPR. 

Mr. Fautch has served as accompanist for the University Choir and Men’s Choir under the direction of Dr. Christopher Peterson at Peck School of the Arts, the Concert Chorale under Dr. Sharon Hansen, and Women’s Choir under Professor Gloria Hansen. In 2003-2004, he accompanied concerts throughout Minnesota for director Irene Sullivan’s Canticle Singers. He has given public chamber music performances with the Orpheus Trio, Dmitri Quintet, and the Schumann Quintet. As a chamber musician, Mr. Fautch has studied with such musicians as Bernard Zinck -a graduate of The Juilliard School and Paris Conservatory, and Sachiya Isomura -cellist for the Minnesota Orchestra.

Chaz Fautch has performed with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University Chamber Orchestra as well as a guest performer for the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra. He’s taken part in masterclasses with world-renowned conductor Nicholas McGegan, pianist and founder of the Round Top Festival Institute James Dick, and principal cellist of the Minnesota Orchestra, Anthony Ross. Contributors to Chaz’s studies also include violist and conductor David Arnott, and pianists Alena Abend and Jeffry Peterson.