Thomas Otten, Emeritus Professor of Piano, retired in 2018 as Piano Area Chair at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and previously served as Chair of Piano at Kent State University. Now based in Portland, OR, he is a sought-after master teacher and concert artist, touring the Pacific Northwest through the OMTA Tholen Enrichment Project and WSMTA Visiting Artist Program. A California native of German-American heritage, he made his debut at seventeen with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and has since performed internationally, including at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Severance Hall. He has given masterclasses at esteemed institutions such as The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory.

A recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Otten studied with John Perry and Nelita True and worked extensively with biomechanics expert Barbara Lister-Sink. He has served on festival faculties in the U.S. and Europe, juried international competitions, and founded the Kent Piano Seminar and various festivals at UNC. His discography includes Liszt transcriptions and the premiere recording of etudes by African American composer Leslie Adams. Also a classically trained baritone, he has sung with ensembles such as the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and will appear as both vocalist and pianist with the Salem Philharmonia in honor of the Ravel Sesquicentennial. His former students include prize-winning concert artist Andrew Tyson. More information can be found at www.otten.studio.