Faculty: Barbara Riske
Barbara Riske studied in Winnipeg, Canada, with John Melnyk, Leonard Isaacs, and Verna Ross, and in Banff with Boris Roubakine, Pierre Souverain, and Gwen Beamish. She holds a BA in French Literature and Psychology (University of Manitoba) and an AMM (Manitoba) and ARCT (University of Toronto) in Music.
In 1996, Barbara moved to Las Vegas, and has played with several groups locally, including the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Nevada Chamber Symphony, Nevada Ballet Theater, Opera Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Flute Club, the Las Vegas Music Festival, the Las Vegas Woodwind Quintet, and the Sierra Winds. As well she has performed in chamber concerts throughout the US, and in March 2002, performed for the second time at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Before coming to Las Vegas, Barbara performed as a soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Israeli Chamber Ensemble, Orquestra del Teatro Colon de Buenos Aires, and the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada. She has served as a principal pianist with New York City's American Ballet Theater, and Eliot Feld's American Ballet Company, as well as Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, touring with them as piano soloist; in 1991, she was given a special award as Best Pianist at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki. For many years, she was keyboard player with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, was Associate Artistic Director of the chamber music series Aurora Musicale, and a member of Music Plus, another chamber series on which she performed on piano and harpsichord; in all series she was recorded extensively by the CBC for local and national broadcast.
Barbara has also been in demand as an adjudicator and clinician. She judged piano competitions throughout the province of Manitoba for many years, and has served as a judge for the Bolognini competition, Silver State, and Solo and Ensemble competitions in Las Vegas. She set up and ran the Department of Preparatory Studies at the University of Manitoba, a conservatory -type program for pre- University music students, offering lessons in theoretical subjects and private instruction. The first year more than 750 students attended. She also set up the Piano Accompaniment course at the U of Manitoba, and offered workshops throughout the province.
Barbara presently serves on the music and dance faculties of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a keyboard player with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and enjoys her summers as Guest Pianist at the Vail International Dance Festival. In early 2005, she will release a cd of music for the ballet class with NYC teacher, Ernesta Corvino.