Photograph by Luke Juntunen

Zachary A. Peterson (he/him) enjoys a varied career as a collaborative pianist, higher education administrator, and educator. As a collaborative pianist, Peterson has performed with instrumentalists and singers throughout the United States, most recently with oboist Emily Hart, trumpeter Jared Wallis, bassoonist Blaire K.S. Koerner, and soprano Paulina Swierczek. He has premiered Kincaid Rabb’s Crystal Depths with bassoonist Blaire K.S. Koerner and Patrick Dunnevant’s Passion de Jean with bass Cody Müller (co-commission). In addition, he adjudicated the solo piano competition at the 2017 and 2018 Hummingbird Festival (Asian American Cultural Exchange) and has held guest artist residencies with saxophonist Nathan Mertens. He serves as a member of the communications team for the International Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society (IKCAS).

As the Graduate Services Senior Advisor at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, Peterson acts as the primary resource for students and faculty regarding issues of graduate programs of study. In this role, he serves as the program advisor to approximately 300 MM, DMA, and Advanced Diploma students; administers all processes regarding change of enrollment status for graduate students; assists the Marie Rolf Dean of Graduate Studies with the preparation of graduate scholarships and assistantships; coordinates the CARE Network for the Eastman School; and liaises with Valley Manor and River Edge Manor for their respective Artist-in-Residence programs and recital series. Additionally, he is a member of the Rochester Network Leadership Cabinet and is a member and previous co-chair of the Rochester Regional Case Managers group.

An avid Musical Theatre specialist, Peterson has served as a keyboardist, rehearsal pianist, and music director for numerous musical theatre productions. Recent musical theatre engagements include serving as a staff pianist for the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music’s Lotte Lenya Competition and LLC Songbook Project, the 2018 NATS National Musical Theatre competition, and the Broadway Dreams Foundation’s Circle of Dreams intensive. In collaboration with James McQuillen, Mr. Peterson has presented on playing musical theatre for classical pianists at the International Keyboard Arts Society’s CollabFest. Peterson holds a part-time faculty appointment in the Arthur Satz Department of Music of the University of Rochester where he teaches undergraduate coursework in musical theatre.

Zachary A. Peterson is pursuing a doctoral degree in higher education at the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development of the University of Rochester. His research interests include the retention of graduate music students, curricular change in music higher education, and equity and inclusion in music. He previously completed a Master of Music in piano accompanying and chamber music under the guidance of Jean Barr at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. He holds a Bachelor of Music in collaborative piano and voice performance from Hastings College, where he studied with Ruth Moore (collaborative and solo piano) and Hillary Watter (voice).