Piano

Rodolfo Faistauer

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Piano Area

Biography 

Rodolfo Faistauer regularly performs as a recitalist and chamber musician across Europe, Brazil, and the United States. He earned his D.M.A. from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music after completing graduate studies in Strasbourg and Munich. Faistauer recently recorded the previously unknown works of Lucília Villa-Lobos for the Brazilian Piano Institute and "Meeresstille" by Hugues Dufourt for Coviello Classics. His recordings have been broadcast on Brazilian and French radio. His research interests include the parallels between music and language, particularly in the compositions of Beethoven and Schubert. His teaching activity embraces students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from non-majors passionate about music to accomplished performers preparing for a career in music.

Rodolfo Faistauer is Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Piano Area at Whitman College, where he teaches Applied Piano, Collaborative Piano, and Music in Society.

Teaching Statement

My goal as an educator is to cultivate my students' artistic identities by encouraging them to find their own answers and become confident musicians. As a piano teacher, I strive for an approach where healthy technique and thoughtful study of the score complement each other, establishing a direct link between physical movements and musical ideas. My teaching is deeply informed by historical and stylistic knowledge, providing the foundation for students to develop individual and genuine musical ideas that lead to compelling performances. Ultimately, I aim to create a supportive environment where students feel free to experiment and build their own connection to music.

Laura Curtis

Studio Music Instructor: Piano

Biography 

Laura grew up with an extended family where music was the center of every gathering. They sang and danced every time they got together and not one of them was a trained musician. Her teaching is influenced by this love for music and the belief that you don’t have to be a professional musician to enjoy making music.

Originally from Portland, Oregon Laura was an accompanist for the Oregon Dance Academy, Portland State University Dance Department, The Portland Civic Theater and performed regularly at Rimsky Korsacoffee House.

After moving to Walla Walla she worked with Little Theater of Walla Walla, both as pianist and music director, on many of their musicals. In 1997 she began teaching applied piano at Whitman College and worked regularly as rehearsal and performance pianist for their annual musicals. Apart from Whitman, she is the pianist for the vocal ensembles at Walla Walla High School and accompanies and performs at Midsummer Musical Retreat, a week long music camp for adults.

Laura received her Bachelor’s in music from Oregon State University and Master of Arts in Music from Washington State University. She is an active member of WSMTA and currently serves as the State Coordinator for the collegiate division of the annual MTNA competition.

Carissa Pitkin Cox

Studio Music Instructor: Piano

Biography 

Carissa Pitkin Cox has been recognized for her expressive conviction and commanding precision as both as a soloist and a collaborative pianist. Passionate about the power of music as a platform for social change and engagement, she served as an ambassador with the Mélange International Music Foundation, which offers music programs for children in developing countries. She has presented research on the music of fin-de-siècle Paris, and avant-garde aesthetics (expression theory). Her scholarly interests include music and philosophy, music entrepreneurship, and piano pedagogy. Cox previously taught at The Boston Conservatory and the University of Cincinnati-College-Conservatory of Music. 

Cox holds a B.A. degree in Piano Performance with a minor in Education from Whitman College, and M.M. degrees in Piano Performance (The Boston Conservatory) and Musicology (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music). Her primary mentors have included Leonard Richter, Lee Thompson, Max Levinson, and Jonathan Kregor. 

Teaching Statement 

“It is my goal as a teacher to guide students to become self-aware and courageous musicians. My pedagogy at the piano focuses on building solid technique aimed at developing ease of playing with the goal of cultivating fearless expression in performance. I teach students how to develop their own unique voice as a performer, and consequently, their own unique aesthetic as a musician, and an individual. I believe that studying music helps students to better understand themselves through self-awareness, self-expression, and dedication—and better understand their world through shared, common experiences. 

As a teacher, I want my students to understand the many roles that music can play in our cultural discourse: it has the power to disrupt, as well as to elevate, foster innovation, and impact positive change in their own lives, as well as the world around them. I encourage my students to broaden their idea of what music, music-making, and performing can be, and empower them to share that with others.”