THE PIANISTS

Jimmy Liu is a dedicated classical pianist who combines his love for music with a passion for teaching. His musical journey began at age 6 when his family relocated from Changchun, China to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As Jimmy's skills developed, he achieved notable success in piano competitions, including prizes in the Duquesne Young Artist, PPTA, MTNA PA State, Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, and Louis Streator/Smith Memorial Piano Competition.

Jimmy furthered his musical education at Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in piano performance. During his time at CMU, he won prizes in the Concerto Competition and in the Silberman Chamber Music Competition. He also obtained certificates in piano tuning and piano pedagogy, broadening his expertise in the field. Jimmy has tuned in over 750 homes in Pittsburgh and is the current piano technician for Chatham University and the Ellis School. Additionally, Jimmy co-founded Piano 4TE, an innovative ensemble that performs on four separate pianos.

Today, Jimmy maintains a thriving piano studio with 45 students, ranging in age from 5 to 75. His students have achieved remarkable success, winning prizes in competitions such as the Pittsburgh International Piano Competition, Steinway Society Young Artist, and Duquesne Young Artist, and performing at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall in NYC and Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh.

Becky Billock is an active recital soloist and chamber musician. She has appeared as soloist with regional orchestras in Oregon and California and has performed solo and chamber recitals in numerous locations throughout the U.S., including several tours of Northwest cities, and appearances on the Seattle radio station Classical KING FM 98.1, the Pittsburgh radio station WQED 98.3FM, and American Public Media's Performance Today.

Ms. Billock concertizes, lectures and adjudicates frequently in western Pennsylvania where she lives with her husband Jonathan Aldrich and her two young daughters, Sierra and Evelyn. She holds degrees from Walla Walla College (BA), University of Redlands (MA), and University of Washington (DMA), where she studied respectively with Leonard Richter, Louanne Long, and Craig Sheppard. Since focusing her dissertation on contemporary women composers, Ms. Billock has been a proponent of women's music and later this season will release a CD of piano music by American women.

During the 2009-2010 season, Ms. Billock collaborated with Pittsburgh Symphony cellist Adam Liu in the premiere of a work by Chinese composer Changyuan Liu. She also collaborated with other luminaries of the Pittsburgh classical music scene in a concert showcasing the works of American composer Robert Schultz. Ms. Billock extensively performed her program entitled Women Working, including a presentation at the 2010 International Festival of Women Composers. As a winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Majors Auditions, Ms. Billock performed on that organization's concert series in September 2010.

Ms. Billock maintains a thriving private studio in Pittsburgh, where her students have been chosen for numerous awards and honors including Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival, the Duquesne Young Artist Piano Festival and the Steinway Society Young Artist program. Most recently, three of her students appeared as soloists with the Pittsburgh Concertino Chamber Orchestra.

A native of New York, Jack Kurutz is a performer, educator, and advocate of contemporary music. He is a founding member of Duo Junction, Piano4te, and the Living Room Chamber Music Project. He is also a member of IonSound Project, with cellist Elisa Kohanski and clarinetist Kathleen Costello.

Mr. Kurutz received his undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and earned his Master of Music from New England Conservatory. In 2005, he completed an Artist Diploma from Carnegie Mellon University, and coached with Ralph Zitterbart.

In addition to performing extensively in the USA Mr. Kurutz has appeared as recitalist and chamber musician in Singapore, Salzburg (Austria), and most recently in Sydney (Australia), and Queenstown (New Zealand). Kurutz has performed in master classes of Earl Wild, Ilana Vered, Sergey Schepkin, Alexander Korsantia, and Randall Hodgkinson. He has also performed at the Music Festival of Monte Castello di Vibio, Piccolo Spoleto, Aspen Music Festival, and the University of Miami’s Piano/Opera Accompanying Program in Salzburg. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, studying with Ivan Davis, and earned his Master of Music from New England Conservatory in Gabriel Chodos’ studio. In 2005, Kurutz completed an Artist Diploma from Carnegie Mellon University.

In September 2007, Mr. Kurutz won First Prize, Artist Division, in the Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition. He was a finalist in the 2009 Simone Belsky Competition and the 2010 Steinway Society of Massachusetts Competition. In addition to maintaining a private piano studio, he holds a teaching position at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12.

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Uliana Kozhevnikova is a pianist and teacher residing in Pittsburgh, PA. Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2009, she has played an active part in the city's musical life by performing with organizations including Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Resonance Works, Mendelssohn and Junior Mendelssohn Choirs, PYCO, and the Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh.

Kozhevnikova is a founding member of Piano4te, an ensemble committed to performing and commissioning works for four pianos. The inaugural concerts took place in 2019 in Pittsburgh and New York City.

With over 20 years of teaching experience, Kozhevnikova works for the Carnegie Mellon Preparatory School and the Ellis School. She has been the pianist at Bethany Baptist Church since 2011.

Kozhevnikova graduated from Moscow State Conservatory, and earned her Masters Degree in Piano Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011. Her principal teachers include Viktor Merzhanov, Sergey Schepkin, and Ralph Zitterbart.

In addition to her musical activities, Kozhevnikova has a diverse range of other skills and interests. From 2008-2013 she was an assistant stage manager for Lyrique-En-Mer, Festival de Belle Ile, France. From 2013-2015 she founded and directed the Russian Education Center to teach children the Russian language and culture. She is a member of the Russian Nationality Room Committee at the University of Pittsburgh, and serves on the board of Resonance Works.