Dr. Timothy Shafer

Biography

Timothy Shafer has extensively concertized across the United States, focusing on the rich heritage of piano repertoire. He is a recipient of the Oberlin Conservatory's 'Rudolf Serkin Outstanding Pianist Award' and has won Indiana University's annual Concerto Competition, as well as being named the 'Teacher of the Year' by the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association. Shafer has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and maintains an active schedule of solo recitals and chamber music throughout the United States. He is a frequent soloist with regional orchestras and has participated in over 40 concerto performances during his career. As a member of Duo Concertant with violinist James Lyon, Shafer recorded the 'Outstanding Field' CD, which features works for piano and violin by composers such as Strauss, Debussy, and Stravinsky. He frequently appears in recitals with his daughter, soprano Sarah Shafer. As a professor of piano at Penn State University, Shafer has concertized, taught, and adjudicated across South America and Asia. He is well-known as a masterclass clinician and competition adjudicator for numerous professional music organizations and colleges. Shafer is a co-author of 'Class Piano for Adult Beginners,' published by Prentice-Hall, and his articles on piano teaching and repertoire have appeared in the 'Piano Pedagogy Forum' and 'American Music Teacher.' He has served for years as the national chair of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy's Student Committee and has mostly completed a decade of service as the senior music consultant for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, contributing to the publication of the new Trinity Psalter-Hymnal, with the volume released in 2018. He earned his degrees in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, obtaining a B.M. from Oberlin, an M.Mus., and a D.M. from Indiana University.

Research Interests