A native of Colorado, John Wickelgren has been described as a pianist who “wonderfully…mingled the sounds of gentle breezes with the clamor of racing horses.” Dr. Wickelgren has performed in cities throughout Colorado, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, as well as Washington, D.C.  His summer festival appearances include Bowdoin and Interlochen. He has been a repeat guest soloist with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, most recently performing the Grieg Concerto in A Minor in May 2015.  He has served as keyboardist with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra since 2006, and in April 2008 he made his solo debut with the orchestra in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, Op. 80.  In 2012, Dr. Wickelgren was certified at the instructor level by the Golandsky Institute, successfully integrating the Taubman approach to piano technique into his teaching.  Dr. Wickelgren has given master classes on this approach, and he actively participates in the Institute’s teaching and performance seminars on the East Coast. He currently studies with Robert Durso in Philadelphia.

John Wickelgren received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky, Dominique Weber and Zitta Zohar.  At Oberlin College, where he received undergraduate degrees in English and Piano Performance, he was a finalist in the annual Conservatory concerto competition, and also received the Piano Faculty Accompanying Prize upon graduation. Dr. Wickelgren has also medalled in the Kawai America Piano Competition and the Russell Wonderlic Competition in Baltimore.  As a resident artist of the La Gesse Foundation in 1997, he presented an all-Schubert concert in honor of the composer’s bicentenary at the Chateau de la Gesse near Toulouse, France.

Currently Dr. Wickelgren is on the music faculties of Frederick Community College and Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland.  His solo CD, “Reflections: The Year 1905,” is available from the artist and the recording is also available at iTunes and cdbaby.com.