Conference

Kevin Chance serves as Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Alabama where he coordinates the Gloria Narramore Moody Piano Area. As soloist and collaborator, Kevin has performed throughout the United States and abroad, and recent orchestral appearances have included Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Triple Concerto, Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Finzi's Eclogue, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, concertos by Ravel and Grieg, and Saint-Saëns’s Le Carnaval des animaux.

He also serves are principal keyboard of the Tuscaloosa Symphony. Performing regularly as a chamber musician, Kevin has been a member of the Semplice Duo with flutist Cristina Ballatori for the past 25 years, and their performances have included world premiers at the National Flute Association Conference as well as recitals in Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, Alabama, and New York as well as Mexico, South America, and Europe. In 2025, they released Night Surrendering to Dawn, a disc of American flute music on the Centaur label.

Kevin has recently received a number of accolades for his teaching. Most recently, he was named a 2025 Foundation Fellow of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and he was named as a Leadership Board Faculty Fellow for the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences for excellence in research and teaching. In 2019, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Steinway and Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame in New York City and was named 2019 Music Educator of the Year by the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa. Additionally, he was named the 2015 Teacher of the Year by the Alabama Music Teachers Association. Kevin maintains an award-winning studio of college and pre-college students, and his students have garnered awards at the national and international levels. In demand as a clinician and adjudicator, he frequently presents at the MTNA National Conference as well as state and local music teacher organizations throughout the country. In January 2021, Kevin served as the headliner clinician for the University of Georgia Piano Symposium, and each summer, he serves on the faculty of the New Orleans Piano Institute.

Kevin holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, and Birmingham-Southern College, and his former teachers include Barry Snyder, Constance Knox Carroll, Anne Koscielny, Ann Schein, William DeVan, and Betty Sue Shepherd. Kevin recently served as President of the American Matthay Association for Piano, and he currently serves as President of MTNA for the 2025-2027 biennium. He also recently joined the roster of Alfred Publishing with his first three-volume series co-authored with Ingrid Clarefield, Rare Recital Treasures.

Colorado State Music Teachers Association is thrilled to announce a special collaboration with Friends of Chamber Music as part of the 2026 CSMTA State Conference experience.

This year’s full conference registration will include a ticket to a concert by internationally acclaimed pianist Gabriela Montero on Sunday evening, October 11th at 7:30 pm, at Gates Concert Hall at the University of Denver. Conference attendees will also have access to a special post-concert meet and greet with Ms. Montero.

Known worldwide for her extraordinary artistry, improvisation, and expressive performances, Gabriela Montero’s appearance represents an exciting addition to this year’s conference weekend. CSMTA is grateful for this partnership with Friends of Chamber Music and looks forward to providing conference attendees with both inspiring educational sessions and an unforgettable concert experience.

Additional discounted concert tickets will also be available for purchase for family members and guests as space allows.