Faculty

Dr. Suzanne Torkelson
Professor of Piano; Director, Tower School of Music
Office: FAC 122
Phone: (319) 352-8233

Suzanne Torkelson, currently Associate Professor of Piano at Wartburg College, holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Iowa, the Master of Music degree from Kansas State University and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wartburg College. In addition, she has studied performance and pedagogy at the doctoral level at the University of Colorado - Boulder. Her piano study has been with Kenneth Amada, Larry Graham, Mark Wait, and Robert Edwards, and she has had extensive experience in chamber literature and accompanying, coaching with Eugene Bossart and Martin Isepp.

Dr. Torkelson has concertized as a soloist and chamber musician in well over half of the United States and several European countries. She has been active in the field of piano pedagogy, in frequent demand as clinician and adjudicator regionally. She continues to work with the pre-college student, both as director of the Tower School of Music and as a teacher for advanced junior high and high school students. Her students from the region have won numerous district and state awards and scholarships. She is currently an officer of the MTNA West Central Division, and the official accompanist for the West Central Division MTNA Competitions.

She started a two-year term as MTNA National Certification Commissioner, one of seven on the national board. The MTNA Professional Certification Program exists to improve the level of professionalism within the field of music teaching.

She has been asked to co-edit with Helen Marlais the eight levels of technique books to complete the Succeeding with the Masters and Festival Collections Piano Library published by FJH. The first three books are in the final stages of editing, with publication scheduled for winter and in time for the FJH Publisher’s showcase at the MTNA National Conference held in Denver.

She also just finished a feature article on teaching styles to be published in the Summer 2008 Keyboard Companion journal. This came at the request of editor Nancy Bachus. Other publications included the Update to the 2006 IMTA Repertoire List as Chair, as well as reviews of new music for the Iowa Music Teacher magazine as New Music Editor.

Dr. Suzanne Torkelson has again been asked to be the West Central Division official accompanist for the MTNA Competitions, as well as adjudicator for the South Central Division competitions held in Dallas in January.