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Stephen Satory

Stephen Satory
Stephen Satory photo
  • Faculty, Oscar Peterson School of Music
  • Examiner

Specialty(s)

Theory & History, Piano

Educational Background
 
  • A.R.C.T., The Royal Conservatory of Music
  • B. Ed., University of Toronto
  • M.A., University of Toronto
  • Ph.D. in Musicology, University of Toronto 
Stephen’s first piano lessons came in Budapest at the age of five. Once his family moved to Canada, he studied at the Royal Conservatory with Pierre Souvairan and Ralph Elsaesser and received an A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance at sixteen. After completing an Honour Music degree at the University of Toronto, he spent a year accompanying opera and studying conducting at Trinity College in London. He also studied musicology at the University of Chicago under Howard Mayer Brown and Philip Gossett and linguistics and comparative literature at the University of Paris at Vincennes. He attended the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto, receiving a Bachelor of Education, and taught choral and band music at Bloor Collegiate for two years. 

He began teaching piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory in 1980 and served at Chair of the Theory Department, Oscar Peterson School of Music between 1998 and 2014. Resuming his academic work, he earned a Master of Arts in Musicology in 1983 and a Ph.D. in 1991, studying with Christoph Wolff, Harvey Olnick, Robert Falck, Carl Morey and Tim Rice. He has been awarded the University of Toronto Open Fellowship and the Government of Hungary Scholarship. His articles on J. S. Bach, Bartok, Kodaly and Ligeti have appeared in refereed journals and his books, Basic Harmony and A Handbook of Twentieth-Century Musical Analysis have been issued by Chorale Publishing. 

A trained singer, Stephen has appeared in amateur productions as Papageno, Alidoro and Der Schauspieldirektor. He has conducted choirs at CKEY Radio, First Unitarian Church, Glendon College and at the Royal Conservatory. He has performed in solo piano and chamber recitals at Scarborough College, Bishop’s University, University of Western Ontario, Art Gallery of Ontario, Heliconian Hall and Mazzoleni Hall, Royal Conservatory. 

ARCT Preparation: Yes

Instruments / Subjects Taught:
  • Piano
  • Theory - Harmony and Counterpoint
  • Theory - Analysis
  • Theory - Ear Training/Musicianship
Lesson Frequency: weekly

Member of the College of Examiners: Yes

Minimum Age of Student: 7

RCM Examination Preparation (Beginner - Grade 10): Yes

Teaching & Professional Experience
37 years of teaching piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory. Frequent piano solo and chamber recitals. Publication of articles and books on music theory.