Meet the Faculty

Dr. Anthony Olson

Associate Professor - Piano and Organ
E-mail: aolson@nwmissouri.edu

Anthony Olson’s career as a classical pianist has taken him throughout the United States, Great Britain and China. His ability to combine expressive phrasing with virtuosic flair and a dynamic stage presence led to his performances being broadcast on America’s National Public Radio, KSCI Television (Los Angeles, California), KVCR Television (California) and Nanjing Television Broadcasting (China). He continually explores a broad range of repertoire as both a soloists and a chamber musician; his recent solo appearances with orchestras and wind symphonies have featured works by the American composers George Gershwin and Louis Moreau Gottschalk.

He is frequently invited to perform and judge at piano festivals and competitions. He was recently invited to be a guest artist and to adjudicate at the International Festival for Creative Pianists.

A dedicated educator, Anthony Olson is currently Associate Professor of Piano at Northwest Missouri State University. His teaching skills are in demand by other institutions and Dr. Olson frequently serves as a guest professor and lecturer. He has taught at Imperial College in London, England (fall of 2005), and Teikyo University in Maastricht, Holland (summer of 2008). He has presented lectures and recitals on a variety of musical topics at national and international conferences for the European Piano Teachers’ Association (EPTA), the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA) and the College Music Society (CMS). An active author, Dr. Olson has written articles for The Piano Journal, Clavier Magazine, Classical Singer Magazine and the Choral Journal.

Dr. Olson is an energetic stage director and conductor as well as a pianist. He has directed and conducted numerous operas including works by George Gershwin, Gustav Holst, Samuel Barber and Mozart. His love of opera developed during his time as pianist and vocal coach for Opera A La Carte, a professional opera company, and for the Full Circle Opera project at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

Anthony Olson’s biography is included in Who’s Who in America.

He studied piano at the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and the University of North Dakota. His teachers have included Daniel Pollack, Greg Allen and Arthur Houle.

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