About the Artist
Jody Graves maintains an exciting, diverse and active performing career, and is recognized nationally as a distinguished artist and teacher of piano. Her recital engagements as a soloist and collaborative pianist take her across the United States and abroad. She has performed concerts in Austria, Norway, France, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and in May 2006 toured in the Persian Gulf serving as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The Middle East Tour, with the Sapphire Trio, included concerts in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The press reviews have called their performances "exciting...imaginative and compelling." In April, 2010, she was invited to judge the National Palestinian Piano Festival in Jerusalem, and following that event toured the West Bank region with the Sapphire Trio performing concerts and giving master classes in such cities as Bethlehem and Ramallah. The Sapphire Trio will return to the Middle East for a concert tour and master classes in April, 2011 which will include Jordan, Nablus, and various other cities in the West Bank.
She is in great demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions and festivals. Each season takes her across the country as an MTA clinician, and she has an active schedule each year as a workshop presenter for teachers. Ms. Graves has been a presenter at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and has been a presenter and performer at numerous State and National MTNA conferences. Once again Dr. Graves will be a presenter at the National MTNA Conference (Milwaukee) in 2011. She has also served as a judge for the International Piano Competition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Dr. Graves served as a faculty member for the International Workshops summer festivals from 1998-2004 in cities throughout Europe. She served as Co-Director for the Eastman School of Music Summer Session titled ‘Plays Well With Others', featuring sessions on collaborative arts performance. Dr. Graves has also authored articles for American Music Teacher and Clavier magazine.
Ms. Graves completed her third recording project ‘Whispers of Light' in 2007, featuring the music of Edward MacDowell, Rachmaninoff and others. She has performed solo and chamber recitals across the country at university guest artist series and community concert events, and has been a featured performing artist several times on public radio. Ms. Graves is the pianist with the nationally acclaimed Sapphire Trio. They have been featured guest artists at the National MTNA conference in Seattle, WA and the International Clarinet Festival in Tokyo, and will be featured again in concert at the ICF in Los Angeles in August 2011.
Ms. Graves is especially interested in promoting concert art music, creating unique and contemporary ways to foster a collaborative experience between artist and listener, and is dedicated to maintaining the life of music in our schools and culture. Ms. Graves is recognized for her creative ability to engage the audience during her concerts with anecdotes, historical perspectives and humor.
Jody Graves holds a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and her Masters degree from Catholic University in Washington D.C. Dr. Graves is Associate Professor of Piano at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wa.
You can find additional information about the artist at www.drjodygraves.com
