Biography

Pianist Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi, a native of Canada, has been engaged in an active and diverse musical career from an early age. An avid performer of repertoire ranging from the renaissance era to the present, her keen interest in new music has led to the commission, premiere, and performance of many new works, both solo and collaborative, which have been featured on live radio broadcasts and on recordings of music by Phillip Schroeder (Music for Piano and Songs of My Affinities) and David Lefkowitz (Music of Contradictions), as well as various recordings for the Society of Composers Inc. Performers Recording Series including the inaugural disc, mélange: New Music for Piano and its successors, Sonance: New Music for Piano and Chroma: New Music for Piano. Lauded for her “versatile artistry,” reviewers have further described her playing as “brilliant,” “phenomenal,” “jaw-dropping,” and “a pleasure to listen to."

Her passion for the creation and integration of new works has been recognized by invited participation in professional regional and national forums where she has lectured on, performed, and premiered new literature for piano. Astolfi also frequently serves as a clinician, adjudicator, coach, and masterclass instructor and is an active member in various local, state, and national music associations including her role as College Faculty Representative for the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors of PianoArts, a North-American piano competition, festival, and fellowship program.

The recipient of numerous awards, scholarships, and grants, Astolfi's professional activities have taken her throughout Canada, the United States, and abroad. Advanced studies in piano performance were with pianists Helmut Brauss (University of Alberta), Tom Plaunt (McGill University), and Lydia Artymiw (University of Minnesota) with whom she completed doctoral studies. Currently a member of the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Astolfi previously taught at Henderson State University in Arkansas.