Rachel Heard

I am active as a performer and teacher across the United States, combining my experience on fortepiano and piano, presenting recitals and lectures on application of period performance practice to interpretation. I earned performance degrees from The Juilliard School and Rutgers University, specializing in the 18th century fortepiano. I studied with fortepianist Malcolm Bilson and debuted during the 1991 Mozart Bicentennial Symposium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Other performance/lectures include U.S. Music Teachers National Association conferences and other colleges, universities, conferences and pedagogical organizations in Europe, Taiwan, and North and South America. I have received numerous awards, including the 2008-09 Millsaps College Young Faculty Award and the 2017 Humanities Teaching Award, sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council. I have been an active member of Music Teachers National Association for over 35 years, and served as Mississippi president from 2008-2010. My three solo recordings, featuring the works of Haydn and J.C. Bach, can be found on the Naxos label.