About

Leon Bugg has served as Professor of Piano at Rockhurst University for 25 years, taught at the UMKC Academy for 29 years, and has taught in some capacity for 50 years: piano, theory, composition, art history, voice, stage presence, music history, sight-singing, ear-training, class piano, harpsichord, chemical, biological, nuclear-logical warfare and physical training. He has worked as a vocal-coach/accompanist in New York, Alabama, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas. Mr. Bugg has conducted choir, hand bells and band in Arkansas and Texas, and was RSA Chapel Organist in Huntsville, AL for two years. He has performed piano concerti with several orchestras doing works by Liszt and Gershwin, and performed recitals with Robert Gifford, solo flutist for the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C., and has performed for the Kansas City Musical Club.

Mr. Bugg earned his BM with a double major in performance piano, Theory and Composition from Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX, and his MM in performance piano with a double minor in electronic composition and voice from the University of Arkansas. He worked toward a DMA at UMKC studying with Richard Cass before accepting the professor of piano position at Rockhurst University. After receiving his honorable discharge from the US Army, he began piano studies with Richard Cass and continued working with him for 40 years. He has worked with Sanna Cass in composition for 15 years and continues making choral arrangements of her songs. His first original choral composition world premiere was in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Eph Ehly. He was engaged to write an original choral.orchestral composition, which premiered in Carnegie Hall to celebrate Martin Luther King Day at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Jonathan Griffith in 199. He was co-incorporator and first accompanist for the Kansas City Choral. He has been a member of MTNA since 1988 and is an alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha.