Departments
Courses Taught
Chamber Music: Strings and Piano
Education
MM, The Juilliard School
BM, The Juilliard School
Ensembles
Anderson & Roe Piano Duo
Decoda
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Chicago, IL.
What is your favorite recording? Why?
It’s impossible to choose one, but I’ll always remember discovering Glenn Gould’s 1955 rendition of Bach's "Goldberg Variations" when I was a preteen—it left an electrifying, indelible impression on me. Additional desert island albums: The Beatles' "Abbey Road" and Radiohead's "In Rainbows."
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Motherhood, books, traveling, art, nature, pop culture.
Who were your major teachers?
Yoheved Kaplinsky, Emilio del Rosario, Vladimir Leyetchkiss.
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
“Sempre con anima” — always with soul! Also: "phrase like a singer" (especially useful for pianists).
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
What intrinsic qualities, skills, and experiences can I develop and explore to build a meaningful life in music?
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
Watching Murray Perahia perform a recital at Orchestra Hall when I was eight years old was a revelation; I knew that I wanted to be a pianist in that very moment.
What was a turning point in your career?
Winning the first prize of the IBLA Grand Prize International Competition in Italy at age 13—it led to recital opportunities in Paris and New York, and it gave me tangible evidence that I could seriously pursue music as a career.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
I would still be in the creative arts, perhaps a writer, filmmaker, or musician in a different genre (my teenage dream was to be in a rock band!).
What is your daily practice routine?
Quality over quantity. I aim to give focused attention and intention to whatever time I have.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff.
What do you think makes a concert experience unique?
Radical presence, both as an audience member and performer. I love witnessing a performer's authenticity, illuminating point of view, total immersion in the music, and visceral connection with the audience. When I'm onstage I seek to connect as truthfully as I can with the humanity and essence of the music, my colleagues, and my listeners. When everything aligns, a concert has the power be a magical, sublime experience of communion.
What recordings can we hear you on?
John Field: The Complete Nocturnes, Decca
Britten and Barber Piano Concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, Decca
Images Poétiques, Universal Korea/DG
When Words Fade - Anderson & Roe, Steinway
The Art of Bach - Anderson & Roe, Steinway
Biography
Hailed “brilliant” and “riveting” by The New York Times, Elizabeth Joy Roe leads a multifaceted career as a concert pianist, collaborator, educator, and creative. She has appeared as orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician worldwide, from Lincoln Center to the Seoul Arts Center. A passionate collaborator, she is a founding member of Carnegie Hall’s affiliate ensemble Decoda and a driving force behind the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo, whose genre-defying performances and visionary music videos (garnering millions of views) have attracted an international following, critical acclaim, and media coverage from MTV, NPR, the BBC, Gramophone, and The Huffington Post.
Career highlights include critically acclaimed recordings released by Decca Classics; concerto performances with major orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Liverpool Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra; festival appearances at Bravo! Vail, Gilmore, Santa Fe Chamber Music, Ravinia, and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorommern; broadcasts on NPR and PBS; faculty positions at Smith College and Sonoma State University; mentorship and directorial work for the National YoungArts Foundation; the McGraw-Hill Companies’ Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach; editions for Alfred Music Publishing; writings for Gramophone and Playbill; presentations at the EG Conference and other leadership symposia; and live broadcast hosting for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
A Steinway Artist and Soros Fellow, she earned her degrees at The Juilliard School and was subsequently an inaugural member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect fellowship.