About

Robin Rysavy began studying piano at the age of three and gave her first public performance at the age of five. Her studies continued with Dr. Walter Cook, Chairman of the piano department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City at that time. Dr. Rysavy received a Bachelor of Music degree from Southwest Baptist University (triple concentration of piano, voice and flute), a Master of Arts Degree in piano performance from the City of University of New York, Queens College, and a Doctorate of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Rysavy is also certified in vocal and instrumental music, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Dr. Rysavy began giving private piano lessons at the age of 12 and continues to teach in her private studio and the UMKC Academy of Music and Dance. Dr. Rysavy’s studio includes all levels from beginning to highly advance students.

Dr. Rysavy is a member of the Piano Technician’s Guild and has extensively researched the historical temperaments as applied to performance practice for music written prior to 1900. When teaching beginning students up to the most advance, Dr. Rysavy brings this unique perspective into her curriculum. It is only through the historical temperaments that the characters imputed to the keys  can be heard and applied to the musical interpretation of piano music written prior to 1900. Dr. Rysavy tunes her own Steinway A to a Victorian Well-temperament. Dr. Rysavy continues to record piano works from the Baroque up through the early Romantic period on a modern Steinway tuned to different temperaments including meantone temperaments, well temperaments and Victorian Temperament for compassion purposes. Through these recordings and the accompanied book written by Dr. Rysavy, the listener can learn and hear how temperaments evolved and are an integral part of each musical composition.

In addition to the historical temperament recordings Dr. Rysavy has recorded and released her own arrangement of Amazing Grace and other beloved hymns. These recordings are available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other sites online.

Dr. Rysavy continues to inspire students with demonstrations during their lesson and her own solo and chamber music performances. All students are encouraged to participate at recitals and at Dr. Rysavy’s master classes. Dr. Rysavy is a state certified adjudicator in Missouri and continues to serve as an adjudicator for district and state music contests in the public schools. Dr. Rysavy also continues to give guest lectures for the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC on the historical temperaments and performance practice.