Dr. Nancy Elton (Piano)
Atlanta Music Academy and Georgia’s Teacher of the Year (2005) and
Member of Piano Faculty at UGA School of Music
Dr. Elton has received critical acclaim for her performances as a solo recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the Southeast and many areas of the U.S. Hailed as "...an artist capable of amazing fire and brilliance as well as being possessed of the most graceful sensitivity and delicacy...a dazzling pianist to say the very least", (The State and Columbia Record), she maintains an active performing and teaching career. She is a highly sought teacher in the Atlanta area where many of her award winning students have gone on to major in piano and have successful careers.
Nancy received the Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of South Carolina, and her Master's and Doctorate of Musical Arts Degrees from the University of Texas in both piano and vocal performance. Her primary piano teachers have been John Kenneth Adams, John Perry and Frank Mannheimer. A versatile performer, she has fashioned a dual career in both performance areas. Nancy's piano concerts have included a variety of venues including college and university campuses, music festivals, conferences, community concert series, churches, and various other concert series. Some of her concerto performances with orchestra have included Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Grieg's Concerto in a minor, Liszt's Concerto in Eb, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, Haydn's Concerto in D Major. Her most recent recital was at the University of Kansas where she performed at the Spencer Museum for the American Matthay Festival, performing on a piano that belonged to Franz Liszt.
In addition to her piano activities, Nancy has performed as an opera singer, solo song recitalist (jazz and classical) and oratorio soloist. Some of her operatic roles have included the title roles in Bizet's Rita, the widow in Lehar's The Merry Widow; Micaela in Bizret's Carmen, Beauty in Giannini's Beauty and the Beast, Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, and Lauretta, the prima donna of Bizet's Dr. Miracle which she performed with the Atlanta Opera Studio in schools throughout the Atlanta metro area. Nancy has an extensive oratorio repertoire as soprano soloist. She was a soloist with the Musica Sacra Concert Series of First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta under the direction of Charles Whittaker for 12 years. Recently she sang the role of the widow in Mendelssohn's Elijah with Peachtree Presbyterian Church where she is currently soprano soloist and section leader. A Capstone disc features her as soprano soloist singing vocal works of Priscilla McLean.
As an accompanist and chamber musician, Nancy has performed with instrumentalists and singers throughout her life. Her most recent collaborations were with pianist Julie Harvey performing duo recitals in Atlanta and Athens, tubist Michael Andrew of Macon, and violinist Jane MaCrae of Atlanta.
Nancy has been the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships and honors. In national piano competition she received top honors in the Collegiate Young Artist Award Competition sponsored by MTNA. She also received the Music Achievement Award presented by the University of South Carolina; and in 2005 she was presented with the prestigious Georgia Teacher of the Year Award which recognizes lifetime achievement, from the Georgia Music Teachers Association.
A veteran teacher, Dr. Elton has taught on the music faculties of Clayton State College, the University of West Georgia and Georgia State University as a visiting instructor. Currently she maintains a private piano studio and is on the music faculty at the Atlanta Music Academy located in Suwanee, GA. She was invited this Fall (2012) to join the piano faculty at the University of Georgia where she teaches piano majors.
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