Biography

Pianist Lois Svard has received critical acclaim for her performances and recordings of contemporary piano music. Her affinity for American experimental music has led her to commission, premiere, and record works by many experimental composers such as Robert Ashley, Alvin Lucier, "Blue" Gene Tyranny, William Duckworth, Elodie Lauten, Kyle Gann, Jerry Hunt and Kirk Nurock.   Her recent DVD of Annea Lockwood's prepared piano work Ear-Walking Woman , released by Innovera Studios , has been called "fascinating," "irresistible," "full of subtleties," and "a superb way to experience Lockwood's work."   Svard has recorded for Innovera Studios and Lovely Music, Ltd.

Svard has performed throughout the US and in Europe. Her performances often celebrate the avant-garde in piano music, whether in the music of Franz Liszt in the nineteenth century, or in more recent works using multimedia, prepared piano, digital keyboard or microtonal tunings.   In addition to performing as a soloist, she has appeared with chamber groups such as the Cassatt String Quartet, and with dancer Peter Boal, former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

Svard is also engaged in research in the applications of recent discoveries in neuroscience for the study and performance of music.   Results of her work have been presented at national music conferences such as the Music Teachers National Association and the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, as well as at national neuroscience conferences such as Neuroscience 2006 and the Society for Music Perception and Cognition.   She is currently at work on a book on neuropedagogy that will explore how recent discoveries in neuroscience can help musicians in their work in the teaching studio, the practice room, and on the concert stage.