Pianist Andrew Willis ( andrewwillispianist.com ) explores the historical development of keyboard instruments and their performance practice, maintaining a commitment to the study, performance, and teaching of the widest possible range of repertoire. Keenly interested in the history of the piano, he contributes frequently to conferences, festivals, and concert series. He was a past president of the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society and a Trustee of the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies, having served as a juror for the latter’s International Fortepiano Competition.

As Covington Distinguished Professor of Music in the UNC Greensboro School of Music, Willis taught performance on instruments ranging from harpsichord to modern piano. He directed the biennial UNCG Focus on Piano Literature for over a decade and inaugurated a student Historical Performance Consort. For the Albany, Bridge, Claves, Centaur, and CRI labels he has recorded solo and ensemble music of three centuries on pianos linked historically to the chosen repertoire. Willis received the D.M.A. in Historical Performance from Cornell University, where he studied fortepiano with Malcolm Bilson, the M.M. in Accompanying and Chamber Music from Temple University under Lambert Orkis and George Sementovsky, and the B.M. in Piano from The Curtis Institute of Music, where his mentor was Mieczyslaw Horszowski.