Brooke Ballard is a performing artist, teacher, and collaborator of more than 17 years. She has received several awards and recognitions for her musicianship, including First Place in the OU Donna Turner Smith Competition, First Place in the UMTA Piano Concerto Competition, two-time winner of the BYU Concerto Competition, and Honorary Mention in the MTNA/UMTA Young Artists Piano Competition.

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She is an enthusiastic collaborator and has accompanied C&C Ballet Academy (six-time Utah Best-of-State winner) under the direction of Gille Maidon (former principal dancer of The Paris Ballet and Ballet West), BYU’s Musical Dance Theatre department, and BYU’s Opera department. She has accompanied many instruments (including viola, violin, cello, trumpet, solo voice, choir, and piano) and played with BYU's top orchestra for two seasons, and she is an ongoing competitor in local, state, and national competitions. Brooke actively teaches many piano students in both private and group settings, is Vice President of the OU MTNA Chapter, and is President Emeritus of the BYU MTNA Chapter.

 

She graduated with her BM in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University with a full-tuition Academic Scholarship and a notable Music Scholarship, studying with Dr. Scott Holden. Brooke currently attends the University of Oklahoma on a full-tuition scholarship and Graduate Teaching Assistantship in pursuit of her MM in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, studying piano performance with Dr. Jeongwon Ham and pedagogy with Dr. Sara Ernst and Dr. John Patrick Murphy. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the E. Mona Smith Scholarship (awarded to the top incoming BYU senior pianist) and the Redi Nibley (Fritz B. Burns Foundation) Scholarship (based on outstanding performance, academics, leadership ability, and consistent work).

 

Brooke has worked and engaged with notable piano instructors, performers, and educators such as Mr. Paul Sheftel (composer and educator), Dr. Hsiang Tu (Assistant Professor of Piano at Virginia Tech), Dr. Cathal Breslin (Arizona State University), Dr. Alexandre Dossin (University of Oregon), Mr. Josh Cullen (Keyboardist at Disney Theatrical Group) and Mrs. Paula Manwaring (President Emeritus of UMTA).

 

Brooke will graduate with her MM in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in 2025, with plans to pursue her DMA upon graduation.