Robin Holtz Williams is currently Chair of the Department of Music at the University of New Orleans and a member of the Board of Directors of the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans (MASNO). Growing up in Kansas City, Dr. Williams earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Missouri - Kansas City and then studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she was awarded Masters and Doctorate degrees in Piano Performance.

Since joining the University of New Orleans faculty in 1990, Dr. Williams has been a frequent solo and chamber musician in New Orleans and the surrounding region, with many of her performances rebroadcast over WWNO-89.9 FM. She has also presented recitals across the country, most recently in the Midwest. In addition to teaching and performing, she maintains an active schedule as an adjudicator. She has served as Louisiana State Coordinator for the Senior Performance Competition sponsored through the Music Teachers National Association. Dr. Williams has presented sessions at the Louisiana State Teachers Convention and will be a presenter in March 2007 in Kansas City for the National Federation of Music Clubs. In July 2006 she served as a competition judge for the 18th Annual New Orleans International Piano Competition.

Dr. Williams' philosophy is that piano music encompasses a full range of emotions, from very personal expression within an intimate setting to thrilling concert audiences through dazzling virtuosity. She has pursued both. Her CD, A Piano in the House, features rarely performed examples of the domestic repertoire: miniature, sweetly tuned, expressive pieces composed for hearth and home. In the Fall of 2005 Dr. Williams was named a Virginia Kock Professor at the University of New Orleans. This professorship enabled her to produce Bridge, Brahms and Blue, a collection of bravura concert pieces designed to dazzle both at home and on the stage. More information on Dr. Williams and audio samples are available on her website at www.robinsmusic.net.

Robin and the Piano

My mother said that when I was two years old I crawled up to the piano and wiggled the keys. When I was five I attended my first neighborhood piano recital. I can still recall everything about the room where I sat and about the child playing the piano. It was then and there that I decided to play the piano when I grew up. After a little begging on my part, my mother decided to send me out for piano lessons.

I would spend all kinds of practice time making up music and generally "messing around". My adventures with the piano ever since have been as much explorations into my soul as learning the mechanics of how to play. Most of life's revelations have come to me while practicing. For me, playing the piano is like a runner's high. It makes me feel vibrant and alive.

I have developed a style that looks and sounds effortless. My study has been to appreciate how the body moves and flows through the music. As a result, the music on this CD brings ease and serenity to the listener.

I have been fortunate to have had friends and teachers who have taught me a great deal. These days, my circle of friends includes many non-musicians who happen to love the sound of the piano. This collection is for them and the many others who, though "wowed" by technical display, really just want something beautiful for their lives.