Karol Sue Reddington piano studio
Biography
Karol Sue Reddington, DMA, has established a teaching and performance career that spans private and college teaching and masterclasses, adjudicating U.S. and international piano competitions, and presenting international performances of solo, concerto, and chamber music. Renowned for her passionate emphasis on twentieth-century and new music, she is a recipient of commissions from European and American composers, has performed dozens of world premieres in the United States and France, and made many regional debuts throughout the U.S.
Dr. Reddington has performed in recital at Carnegie Hall and in prestigious music series and concert halls in Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Dallas, Baton Rouge, Prague, Moscow, Paris, Hong Kong, Fontainebleau, Tokyo, Zürich, Reykjavik, San Remo, Montego Bay (Jamaica), Hamilton (Bermuda), and others. Her orchestral performances include appearances with the Bermuda Philharmonic.
As a chamber musician, Dr. Reddington has been a member of the Breyton Trio, Coral Reef Trio, and Hamilton Trio, and has collaborated with violinist Mathias Boegner, cellist Paul DeJong, tenor Gary Burgess, soprano Antonia Felix, and others.
Her 2002 Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Concert Hall was shared with Swiss violinist/colleague Mathias Boegner (program available on CD). As a member of the College of DuPage piano faculty, Dr. Reddington was awarded a College of DuPage Liberal Arts Faculty Grant expediting the lecture-performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards, later presented at the Fine Arts International Conference in Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok. Messaien was also a highlight of her Les Arts Georges V concert series performance at the American Cathedral of Paris. In support of new composers, she has also recorded recent works by Jonathan Zimmer and John Booth.
Receiving the Doctor of Musical Arts performance degree from the College Conservatory of Music (CCM), University of Cincinnati, Dr. Reddington’s pianistic work includes study and coaching with Eugene & Elisabeth Pridonoff, Marion Hall MacFayden, Soulima Stravinsky, Alfonso Montecino, James Tocco, Hans Graf, Rafael de Silva, and Gaby Casadesus. She has also coached with Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Quatuor Via Nova de France, and the IRCAM Ensemble Contemporain de France. Leading a decade of development of
Bermudian music schools/conservatories in the roles of director/artistic director/faculty, she initiated the establishment of Bermuda’s international chamber music series, Some Enchanted Evening.
In addition to serving as a Piano Examiner of Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music, Dr. Reddington has participated as judge/adjudicator/master-class presenter for Northern Illinois University, the Music Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Merit School of Arts, the Glen Ellyn Piano Teachers Guild Competition, Wheaton College’s Concerto Competition, Chicago Roosevelt University’s Roberta Savler Competition, and the Illinois State Music Teacher Association’s State Collegiate Young Artist Piano Competition, Northwest Regional Piano Competition, and ISMTA piano assessments. Dr. Reddington was awarded the 2014 designated Outstanding Member of the Year of the Music Teachers National Association, West Suburban Chapter.
Dr. Reddington recently served as adjudicator for the Macau, China 2019 Near-East Asia Pacific Young Pianist Competition, and she also serves as adjudicator for the DuPage Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition.
Maintaining an active private studio, her students have been awarded inclusion in numerous festivals and competitions, including the Cairn-Maling Piano Competition of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra Piano Competition, local concerto competitions, and scholarship-awarded acceptance into professional studies as the National Music Camp of Interlochen, Oberlin College, University of Illinois, University of Southern California, Yale University, Princeton University, and Elmhurst College. Dr. Reddington is currently Director of the Berkley-Pendell Piano Scholarship Competition, a recognised youth competition of the western Chicago suburban area.
A sought-after teaching artist, Dr. Reddington has been the director of the Berkley-Pendell Piano Competition (Illinois) since 2012. Reddington earned a doctorate (DMA) in Piano Performance at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and master of music and bachelor in music degrees from the University of Illinois.
Professional Memberships & Activities
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National Certified Teacher of Music (Music Teachers National Association, 2014 – present)
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American Liszt Society (2013 – present)
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Musicians Club of Women Chicago (active sponsored membership, 2012 – present)
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Illinois State Music Teachers Association (2007 – present)
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Indiana State Music Teachers Association (1972-1987); Vice-President (1985-87)
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Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honorary (University of Illinois, 1965 – present)
Competition Judging & Masterclasses
2020 DuPage Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition
2019 Macau Near-East Asia Pacific Young Pianist Competition (China)
Berkley~Pendell Piano Competition (Director ~ Chicago West Suburban Competition, 2012 – present; Committee, 2011-12)
Glen Ellyn/Wheaton Piano Competition, Glen Ellyn IL (2006, 2012, 2015)
Illinois Federation of Music Clubs, Chicago, IL (2010 – present)
ISMTA Northwest District Competition (2014)
Downer’s Grove Piano Festival (2014)
Naperville IL ISMTA presentation (2013)
Waubonsee ISMTA Master Class (2011, 2013, 2015)
Merit School of Music, Chicago, Music Festival Adjudications (2007 – present)
Roosevelt University, Roberta Savler Piano Contest, Chicago Area Music Teachers Association (2009, 2014)
Music Institute of Chicago (2012, 2014)
Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada, Piano Examiner-Adjudicator, Toronto (2005 to present)
Illinois State Music Teacher’s Association State Collegiate Artist Piano Competition (2008)
Illinois State Music Teacher’s Association Northwest Regional Piano Competition (2008, 2009)
West Suburban Illinois State Music Teacher’s Association Piano Masterclass, Wheaton IL (2008, 2014)
Wheaton College Concerto Competitions, Wheaton, IL (2005)
Continual Master-classes, Bermuda School of Music, Bermuda (1995-2005)
London Guildhall School of Music and Theatre Arts Evaluation, Hong Kong (1993)
Ohio Music Teachers Association, Cincinnati (1992)
Key Society Competition, Invitational Competition, Evansville, IN (1990, 1986, 1985)
Indiana Music Teachers Association State and District Piano Competitions (1977-87)
Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra International Concerto Competition of Young Artists (1982)
Adjudicating at the 2019 Macau Near-East Asia Pacific Young Artist Piano Competition
Performances / Solo • Concerto • Chamber Music
UNITED STATES ARTISTS SERIES AND APPEARANCES
Wicker Park Lutheran Church Artist Series (Chicago)
ISMTA State Music Teachers Convention (Chicago, 2015)
Universities and Colleges: College of DuPage (IL), Wheaton College (IL), Northwestern University (Evanston), Concordia University (River Forest, IL), North Park University (Chicago), University of Minnesota, University of Chicago, Kent State University, Indiana University, University of Illinois, Indiana State University, Concordia College (MN), Eastern Illinois University, Morehead State University (KY), Louisiana State University, Tulane University, Southern Methodist University, Depauw University (IN), University of Indianapolis, North Dakota State University, University of Alabama, Lincoln Trail College (IL), Ohio Valley University (OH)
Carnegie Hall Debut, New York City:
Collaboration with Mathias Boegner, violin, ‘For Absent Friends‘, dedicated to the
Victims of 9-11 (2002)
INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES
Bangkok, Thailand:
Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, Fine Arts International Conference,
Messiaen’s Vingt Regards (2010)
Paris, France:
American Cathedral Georges V Artist Series, Piano Concert (2021, 2009)
American Cathedral Georges V Artist Series, Violin/Piano Concert, with Mathias Boegner
(2002)
Performance artist, Salle Pleyel, L’École normale de musique, Paris (1997, 1993)
Performance artist of Écoles d’art américaines, Fontainebleau (1989)
Tokyo, Japan:
British Ambassador’s Residence, Violin/Piano Concert, with Mathias Boegner (2001)
Zürich, Switzerland:
Violin/Piano Concert, with Mathias Boegner (2001)
Moscow, Russia:
Vocal/Piano Concert, Master Class, with Antonia Berg Felix, soprano, Galina Vishnevskaya
School of the Performing Arts (2001)
Bermuda:
Celebratory Concert, works of Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Ravel (2005)
Gala Performance, guest artist for Bermuda International Languages and Arts Institute
Opening with Paul deJong, cellist, area premiere of Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango (2004)
Gala Performance for the Premier of Bermuda, Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. I
in Bb Minor, with Bermuda Philharmonic (2001)
Bermuda National Art Gallery, Guest Artist Series (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998)
Bermuda National Trust Annual Concerts (2000, 1999, 1998, 1994)
Premier’s Concert, City Hall, Artists of Bermuda, Collaborative Performance (1995)
Prague, Czech Republic:
Slovakian Seminary, with Antonia Felix, soprano (1996)
Hong Kong:
Hong Kong Baptist University Artist Series (1993)
Hong Kong City Hall Visiting Artist Series (1993)
Academy for the Performing Arts Artist Series (1992-93)
Fontainebleau, France:
Écoles d’art americaine, Artist Series (1992)
Reykjavik, Iceland:
Kjarsvallstödium Art Museum, International Arts Festival of Iceland (1985)
San Remo, Italy:
San Ignacius Cappella,Summer Artist Series (1985)
GRANT AWARDS/PERFORMANCES
Invitational Performance, Honour of Marion Hall-Macfadyen, Home of Jacobs School of
Music Dean Charles Webb, Indiana University, Bloomington IN (2012)
‘In Celebration of Vingt Regards of Olivier Messiaen’, College of DuPage (2010)
COMMISSIONS
World Premiere: Orbus Tertius, by Keith Carpenter, Northwestern University
(rev. 1996, 1994)
World Premiere: Lamentation, by Jonathan Stahlke, Halle, Germany (1990)
World Premiere: Prestissimo, by James Hirt, Cincinnati (1991)
MEDIA PERFORMANCES & RECORDINGS (CDs)
Celebration Recital, Charity Recital, Garlands Arts Center, with Nicole Keiter, flute,
Barrington IL (2013)
Five Preludes, Jonathan Zimmer, Premier of Works, Concordia University, Oak Park IL (2012)
CD ‘For Absent Friends’, Concert at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, with Mathias Boegner,
violin, NYC (2003)
Gary Burgess, tenor & Karol Sue Reddington, piano, Concert at Ruth Seaton James Centre,
Bermuda (2000)
Some Enchanted Evening ~ 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 CD of Performances,
Bermuda
National Public Radio, Vox balaenae, George Crumb, Cincinnati IL (1990)
Milwaukee Museum of Art Historical Collections, Music of Emma C. Fink (1988)
Twentieth Century Choral Music, Kenneth Gaburo, Ars Nova-Ars Antiqua, AN-10 (1970)
