Whispers Of Light CD

Jody Graves maintains an exciting, diverse and active performing career, and is recognized nationally as a distinguished performing artist and teacher of piano. Her recital engagements as a soloist and collaborative pianist take her across the United States and abroad. She has performed concerts in Austria, Norway, France, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and most recently (May 2006) toured in the Persian Gulf serving as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The Middle East Tour, with the Sapphire Trio, included concerts in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The press reviews from the Middle East called their performances ‘mesmerizing’ and ‘emotional and imaginative’. (The Peninsula/Qatar) Dr. Graves is an Associate Professor of Piano at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington and Director of Keyboard Studies. She is in great demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions and festivals. Each season takes her across the country as an MTA clinician, and she has an active schedule each year as a workshop presenter for teachers. Ms. Graves has been a session leader at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago and a Presenter and Performer at several State and National MTNA conferences. She has also served as a judge for the International Piano Competition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. For 5 years Dr. Graves was a faculty member for the International Workshops summer festival, along with Nelita True, Jean Barr, Marvin Blickenstaff and Tony Caramia. She has also authored articles for American Music Teacher and Clavier magazine. Ms. Graves has performed solo and chamber recitals across the country at university guest artist series and community concert events, and has been a featured performing artist several times on public radio. She is the pianist with the Sapphire Trio who were featured guest artists at the National MTNA conference in Seattle, and the International Clarinet Festival in Tokyo. Ms. Graves is especially interested in promoting concert art music, creating unique ways to foster a collaborative experience between artist and listener, and she is dedicated to maintaining the life of music in our schools and culture. Ms. Graves is recognized for her creative ability to engage the audience during her concerts with anecdotes, historical perspectives and humor.Jody Graves holds a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she was the recipient of the distinguished Teacher of the Year award for her excellence in teaching. Her major performance teachers include, Fernando Laires, Jeffrey Kahane, Bela Nagy, Margaret Saunders Ott, and Marilyn Neeley. You can find additional information about the artist at www.ewu.edu/music andwww.sapphiretrio.com