American pianist Johnandrew Slominski enjoys a distinguished reputation as a performer and pedagogue. His elegant playing has earned praise from composers and critics alike. Slominski has been hailed as "a remarkable, brilliant, and gifted pianist" (Chautauquan Daily), commended for performing with "a great deal of intellect" (89.9 KBPS Portland), and recognized for his communicative performance: "I was profoundly moved by his performance... He has a musicianship that transcends his youthfulness." (Eye on Sun Valley). His 2016 San Francisco solo debut, presented by the New Piano Collective, earned praise as "awe-inspiring" and "ear-opening" from Stephen Smoliar of the San Francisco Examiner. Slominski seamlessly navigates the landscape of a varied and thriving career as a soloist, chamber musician, music theorist, author, pedagogue, and speaker. Highlights of his current season include performances of concerti by Schumann and Mozart, two concert tours of California, recordings for Oxford University Press, a recently released CD of solo piano music on the Centaur label, performances with tenor Robert Swensen, two lieder CDs (an all-Schumann disc with tenor Robert Swensen and an all-Schubert disc with soprano Kayleen Sánchez--Slominski's fortepiano debut recording), and more than a dozen teaching and speaking engagements in the United States and Asia.
A child prodigy, Slominski gave his first public performance at age 5, won his first piano competition at age 6, and entered college at age 15. By age 21, Slominski had earned three degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, including a Master of Music in Performance and Literature, a Master of Arts in Pedagogy of Music Theory, and a Bachelor of Music in Performance; his first professorship followed two years later. He was unanimously nominated for (and received) Eastman's coveted Performer's Certificate in recognition of outstanding concert artistry--the youngest individual to have received such an honor. Slominski holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree, also from the Eastman School of Music. In 2009 he was awarded the Prize for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student, and 2010 Slominski received the Jerald C. Graue Musicology Fellowship in recognition for his research in the field of nineteenth-century performance practice. His innovative performance and pedagogical research has been supported by institutions including the Classics Abroad Society and the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Slominski is the founder and director of "Classical Music on the Spot", an intensive summer institute at the Eastman School of Music, dedicated to the study and practice of eighteenth-century style improvisation.
Slominski is a frequent solo performer, collaborative pianist, masterclass clinician, and lecturer. Praised in print for his virtuosity, innovative programming, and broad repertoire, he performs worldwide. He has been recently featured as a guest artist at the Chautauqua Institution for Fine and Performing Arts (NY), Sarasota Music Festival (FL), Dakota Sky International Piano Festival (SD), Sunderman Recital Series at Gettysburg College (PA), Sun Valley Artist Series (ID), St. Petersburg College Piano Series (FL), Jan Deyl Conservatory (Czech Republic), Tel Aviv Early Music Festival (Israel), Salle Cortot (France), and Cecil Arts Hall (South Korea). As a competition laureate, Slominski was awarded first prize in the Chautauqua International Piano Competition and was the silver medalist in the International Keyboard Odyssiad Piano Competition.
His recordings have been broadcast domestically by National Public Radio and are published by Oxford University Press, Centaur Records, and Soundset Recordings. His principal studies at the Eastman School were with Rebecca Penneys; additional teachers have included Robert Levin, John Perry, Steven Laitz, Dorothy Fahlman, Malcolm Bilson, Joseph Silverstein, and Jean-Francois Antonioli.
Slominski has held teaching positions at the University of Rochester, the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also served as a joint faculty member at the Eastman School of Music in both piano and music theory. His students (both pianists and theorists) have been accepted to prestigious undergraduate and graduate programs at schools including Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and the North Carolina School for the Arts. Slominski teaches during the summer months at the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival at the University of South Florida, and served from 2012-2017 as an Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He served on the faculty of Linfield University as a pianist and music theorist from 2017-2021. Slominski is a New Piano Collective artist.