Kent, OH — ’s Kent Keyboard Series presents four phenomenal concerts featuring Hugh A. Glauser School of Music faculty artists and internationally renowned guest artists.
Faculty artist Anna Grudskaya launches this season’s Kent Keyboard Series on October 12, 2025, in collaboration with guest violinist Erin Reidhead. Grudskaya holds degrees from The Hartt School, New York University, Mannes College of Music and Santa Clara University. Her performances have taken her to prestigious festivals around the world, including the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York City, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado and the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy in China. Grudskaya currently serves on the faculties of , The Hartt Community Division and The Music Settlement and during the summers, she is on faculty at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.
Adam Piotr Żukiewicz will continue the series on November 16, 2025. Żukiewicz is an award-winning Polish pianist and Steinway Artist known for his critically acclaimed performances and innovative programming. Praised as “a fine artist [who] brings a gracious sense of beauty to all of the music…” (Fanfare Magazine ), he has performed at major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Musikverein, Teatro alla Scala and KKL Luzern. His performances have been broadcast internationally, including a televised solo appearance during China’s 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival, viewed by over 1.4 billion people on CCTV. Żukiewicz is a passionate advocate for both traditional repertoire and contemporary music, frequently commissioning and premiering new works. He has served on the faculties of international summer festivals in Italy, Poland and Czechia, and is an associate professor of Piano at the University of Northern Colorado.
Guest artist Stephanie Shih-yu Cheng will be performing on February 22, 2026. Cheng is a Taiwanese-American pianist whose expressive performances have taken her to renowned stages worldwide, including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Tokyo’s Opera City Hall, the National Concert Hall in Taipei and the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago. Her performances have been featured on NPR, WFMT, Nippon TV and MSNBC. Cheng recently released solo album "Ravel: Masterworks for the Piano,"(Centaur Records) which was hailed as “a massive achievement” and “required listening for Francophiles.” She also appears on "License to Thrill" (Summit Records) and has collaborated with artists such as Leon Fleisher and Sara Davis Buechner. A passionate educator, she has taught at institutions in the U.S., Middle East and Asia, and regularly gives masterclasses and serves on competition juries worldwide. Cheng is professor of Piano and Chair of the Keyboard Department at the University of Denver.
On April 19, 2026, Faculty Artist Donna Lee will close the 2025-2026 Kent Keyboard Series. Lee is a Steinway artist, faculty member and director of the Kent Keyboard Series. She made her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1990 and has since performed as a soloist and chamber musician at major venues including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. She has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, with frequent appearances in China, Michigan, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Nevada. Her recordings include "Mendelssohn: Complete Works for Cello and Piano" (Blue Griffin) with cellist Keith Robinson, praised by Fanfare as “quite simply, amazing.” A distinguished pedagogue, Lee was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame and received ’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Donna Lee serves on the faculty of and the Brevard Music Center, where she also coordinates the Piano Division.
All performances will be held at 5 p.m. in Ludwig Recital Hall in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Dr. on the Kent Campus. Parking is free.
Tickets for the four concerts are $15 each and free for 18 and under. They can be ordered through the Performing Arts Box Office by calling 330-672-2787, by visiting the Roe Green Lobby at 1325 Theatre Drive or online.