Elizabeth R.
Piano Instructor
Teaching Philosophy
Book Lessons: https://musicmakerworkshops.opus1.io/w/lessonswithelizabeth
Elizabeth teaches on Saturdays during this 2026-2027 school year. If you are looking for weekend lessons this is a great teacher. She believes that every student can develop both technical excellence and a lifelong love of music. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, she encourages students to approach music as both a sport and an art—building discipline, confidence, creativity, and imagination. Her lessons are tailored to each student’s individual goals, fostering well-rounded musicians through thoughtful instruction, collaboration, and a supportive learning environment.
Education
Originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Elizabeth Ritchie is a Phoenix-based pianist and collaborative artist. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022 with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from James Madison University, where she studied with Dr. Eric Ruple and received collaborative piano coaching from Dr. Gabriel Dobner. During her undergraduate studies, she attended the Technique Intensive at Louisiana State University, studying with professors from Eastman and LSU, and was the 2020 winner of the VMTA Concerto Competition.
Following graduation, Elizabeth received the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship for first-year graduate studies and the competitive University of North Texas Eastman Scholarship to pursue her Master of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance. She studied with Dr. Elvia Puccinelli, Dr. Steven Harlos, and Dr. Liudmila Georgievskaya.
In 2025, Elizabeth was awarded a competitive scholarship and Teaching Assistantship to begin her Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University, where she studies with Dr. Andrew Campbell and Dr. Miki Aoki.
Performance Experience
An accomplished collaborative pianist, Elizabeth has performed with instrumentalists, vocalists, chamber ensembles, and wind ensembles throughout the United States. She served as pianist for the James Madison University Wind Symphony (2021–2022), the Arizona State University Wind Symphony (2025), and the ASU Wind Ensemble (2026).
While at the University of North Texas, she was a member of the Amici Sextet, an award-winning wind chamber ensemble. The group earned recognition in the 2022–2023 American Virtuoso International Music Competition Chamber Music Division and performed in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
In the summer of 2024, Elizabeth received a scholarship to attend the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, where she studied in Dr. Gabriel Dobner’s Lieder Studio. She has also participated in masterclasses with internationally recognized artists including Marina Lomazov, Redi Llupa, Jean Barr, Malcolm Martineau, Wolfgang Brendel, Jamie Barton, and Thomas Hampson.
https://musicmakerworkshops.opus1.io/w/lessonswithelizabeth