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Dr. Amy M. Simpson, piano
Dr. Amy M. Simpson is a pianist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania whose book, Music on Your Mind: What Musicians Need to Know to Play with Success, explains how we perform optimally by using the best methods in practice and performance. Dr. Simpson has shared her expertise in neuromusic techniques with universities and professional groups across the United States, most recently, at the 150th MTNA conference in March 2026.
By using imagination and proper focus of attention, musicians can optimize both motion and musicality to reach their utmost performance goals. Dr. Simpson looks forward to sharing her neuromusic expertise and musical experience through teaching.
Dr. Simpson holds a DMA in Piano Performance from West Virginia University and an M.M. in Piano Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Dr. Peter Amstutz and Ralph Zitterbart, respectively. Her expertise in neuromusic is an outgrowth of her interdisciplinary DMA dissertation, for which she won two research awards at West Virginia University.
While at Carnegie Mellon, she performed chamber music with clarinetists, violinists, and cellists, and accompanied vocal repertoire courses, covering the literature in all major languages. She has performed more extensively with the principal tubist of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra with whom she won the Pittsburgh Concert Society audition. During her university years, she performed in master classes for John Browning, Earl Wild, Sheila Page, Eunice Norton, and Till Fellner.
While at West Viriginia University, Dr. Simpson performed Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements with the University orchestra. More recently, she performed Beethoven's Emperor Concerto as soloist with the Edgewood Symphony in Pittsburgh, with whom she continues to play orchestral piano. At present, she performs as a soloist and chamber musician for a concert series at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. During Covid, she performed a large portion of Rzewski's People United Variations in a virtual concert. In the last few years, she offered a solo recital and a performance of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata with a Pittsburgh Symphony violinist.
With over 35 years of private teaching experience and university experience in applied piano, class piano, piano literature, and music history, Dr. Simpson is an experienced educator. Currently, she serves as an Adjunct Instructor at West Virginia University. She has also served as a research advisor for doctoral students preparing dissertations. Currently, she instructs private students at the Carnegie Mellon University Preparatory School.
Dr. Simpson resides in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, an electrical engineer and skilled amateur clarinetist. In her spare time, she enjoys learning the Italian language and taking long walks. With a love of learning, teaching, and performing, Dr. Simpson looks forward to sharing her musical experience and neuromusic expertise this summer in Italy.