Omri Shimron teaches, performs, lectures at an International Piano Festival in Florida

The festival, founded by Rebecca Penneys, a Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester), attracted 30 advanced students from 17 countries, including Korea, China, Chile, Japan, Colombia, Russia, and the US. As resident faculty Shimron taught daily one-on-one lessons, led master-classes and presented a lecture-performance on the Brahms, Ballades, Op. 10. Together with Penneys and co-instructors Johnandrew Slominski and Eunmi Ko, he also performed a two-piano, 8-hand concert on August 3. The festival featured guest artists, including Christopher Harding (U. of Michigan), Father Sean Duggan (SUN

Y-Fredonia), Roberta Rust (Lynn University) and acclaimed pianist, John O’Connor. Hosted by the all-Steinway School of Music at the Univesrity of South Florida, the festival offered both traditional and non-traditional approaches to piano pedagogy, including an emphasis on attention and memory.