Dr. Amanda Halstead

Dr. Amanda Halstead, an accomplished pianist and chamber musician, was appointed to the adjunct keyboard faculty. After relocating to the Virginia Peninsula in 2005, Dr. Halstead quickly established a reputation as one of the best chamber musicians and accompanists in the area. For the past two seasons, Dr. Halstead has performed for the Virginia Arts Festival as resident pianist for the John Duffy Composers Institute, a symposium dedicated to contemporary music. As an orchestral pianist, Dr. Halstead performs with The Virginia Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, and Project Copernicus, an emerging chamber ensemble dedicated to innovative programming and musical outreach in Miami, Florida. Dr. Halstead has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the National Repertory Orchestra, the Repertoire Orchestra of CCM, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, and Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in many prestigious summer festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons, and the Opera Theater and Chamber Music Festival of Lucca, Italy. Dr. Halstead earned the Bachelor of Music degree from Rice University and the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Her former teachers include Robert Roux, Eugene and Elizabeth Pridonoff, and Frank Weinstock. She performs frequently on faculty and student recitals at Old Dominion University where she teaches academic classes and private lessons and will be teaching Advanced Keyboard Skills and Keyboard Literature and Pedagogy at CNU.