Piano with Sami F.

Currently based in Austin, Sami loves mixing concerts of the standard repertory that non-musicians recognize with new and relevant works, from Bach to Rautavaara. Ms. Froncek has spent the past two years researching and studying in Belgium. As part of her research, she completed a post-graduate diploma at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. She received a Fellowship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation and was also a finalist for the Fulbright study/research grant. Her research included the study of solo piano music of Flemish Romantic, Impressionistic, and Contemporary composers from Peter Benoit to Wim Hendrickx, as well as the standard repertory, as well as a survey of teaching methods and institutions for pre-college students in Belgium. Ms. Froncek’s recital appearances included Project Sarmila’s Benefit Recital in Hasselt, “Aperitiefconcert” with cellist Margot Joubard in Leuven, at her own “Thanksgiving Day Recital” at the Muziekacademie in Mortsel, and in Antwerp at the Blauwe Zaal in Desingel. Her favorite was the benefit recital for the Nepalese earthquake relief effort for Project Sarmila. She performed recitals elsewhere in Europe, most notably Munich and Berlin. Ms. Froncek holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Baylor University in piano performance. Her teachers include James Williams, Jane Abbott-Kirk, and Levente Kende. She has played in masterclasses with Richard Goode, Steven Osborne, Till Fellner, Pavlina Dokovska, Dang Thai Son, Craig Nies, and Norman Krieger. In 2010, she was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society. She also attended Brevard Music Festival in 2009 and 2012, and PianoSummer in New Paltz, NY in 2010. Even though she considers multiple places home, Ms. Froncek is from small-town Derby, Kansas where she graduated first in her class from Derby High School, which was, at the time, the largest high school in the state. It was here that she began teaching, beginning with swimming for her club team, academic mentoring, French horn lessons, and piano lessons. She later maintained a small private piano studio throughout her undergraduate and master degrees, and afterwards served as a faculty member of Dallas/Music in the Park Cities area of Dallas. She is on piano faculty at the Mt. Blanca Summer Music Conservatory in Alameda, Colorado. This summer, she will be returning to Europe, and she will be stopping in Belgium to restock her chocolate supply.