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Grace Asquith Fuerst

Grace Asquith Fuerst
Grace Asquith Fuerst Photo
  • Examiner

Education - Studies
BM (Piano Pedagogy), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
MM (Piano Performance), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
DMA (Piano Performance), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Teaching
Private Studio
Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO

Professional Activities
At her private studio Dr. Grace Asquith Fuerst conducts various group activities such as composing and improvising that help students understand the relationship between music theory and musical structure. A weekly performance class gives students opportunities to develop their own personal performance routines in advance of recitals or competitions. Special studio recitals include 20th-century piano music using extended techniques, lecture-recitals by the advanced students, and duet playing that includes the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes with a vocal quartet. The highlight of the year is the collaborative recital in which the student pianists perform with professional instrumentalists in a public venue.

Grace's collaborative studies with Robert Spillman and William Kearns continue to be a strong influence in her personal performance and teaching. Tanya Gille and Steven Bruns fostered her enthusiasm for 20th-century music, especially the music of George Crumb.
Dr. Asquith has presented at Colorado and Wyoming state conferences plus many local Music Teachers’ Associations throughout Colorado. Topics include 20th-century piano music, hands-on preparation of the inside of the piano, re-directing creative energy into one’s music, competition preparation, improvisation, and motivating students. She has served on the panel for college auditions and has conducted master classes in Colorado, Texas, Virginia, and South Dakota.

Grace's numerous adjudication activities include: MTNA Collegiate and Pre-Collegiate, CSMTA SPA Artists and Honors, state and scholarship auditions, concerto and festival competitions, state and local Federated Music Festivals, Wyoming State (WMTA) Achievement Day, Maurice Thomas Memorial Piano Competition, Jefferson Symphony International Young Artists Piano Competition, Longmont Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, Aurora Four Forms Festival, Grand Junction Sonatina Festival, Kids for Bach, Loveland Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Springs MTA Festival, and many Achievement Day events in Colorado.

Dr. Asquith is a co-founder of Chamber Ensemble con Grazia, a chamber group that presents formal recitals, a Little Noon Music summer series, Intergenerational Concerts, and specials events throughout the year. As a soloist Grace has performed in the Calliope Music Studio Summer Recital Series and many concerts with the BAMTA Performance Group, including the Clementi Concert with chamber orchestra. As a freelance accompanist she worked with conductor Lawrence Kaptein and the Colorado Conductors Chorus.

An active board member of the Colorado State Music Teachers' Association, Grace served a term as president (2010-2012). She has acted as president of local associations, and is the artistic director for Chamber Ensemble con Grazia as well as a past board member of the Boulder Bach Festival. Among her compositions Grace Asquith lists "No Such Music," a work for cello and piano, premiered 24 April 2010 by the ASTER Women’s Choir; a published work (1995) for SATB, "Jasmine Tea"; "Songs of Sappho," performed by the ASTER Women’s Choir in the spring of 2006; and other works for voice, horn, voice, and percussion. She has been a nationally certified teacher of music since 2006.

Professional Affiliations
Music Teachers' National Association (MTNA)
Delta Omicron