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CHRIS BANKA

AWARD-WINNING CONCERT PIANIST

SUMMARY

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Christopher Banka

A graduate of Mannes School of Music (MM in piano performance 2021) and Florida State University (BM in piano performance 2018), Christopher Banka has won numerous awards for solo and chamber piano. Chris has performed in more than 100 recitals, concerts, and master classes, including at the International Keyboard Institute & Festival, Kinhaven Music School, Meadowmount School of Music, the Princeton Festival, and Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall.  In 2020, Chris was selected to represent the state of New Jersey in the MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition. He is currently studying piano with Vladimir Valjarević and Adrienne Kim; previous teachers include Read Gainsford and Joel Hastings.

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EDUCATION

Schools

Mannes School of Music, Master of Music in Piano Performance — Aug. 2021

magna cum laude

Florida State University, Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance — Dec. 2018       

magna cum laude

Principal Teachers

Adrienne Kim, Manhattan School of Music — 2022-Present

Vladimir Valjarevic, Mannes School of Music — 2019-Present  

Read Gainsford, Florida State University — 2016-2018

Joel Hastings (deceased), Florida State University — 2014-2016

Kathleen Supové, Mannes Prep, Mannes School of Music — 2012-2014

Teaching Experience

Online and in-person piano instructor, Maplewood, NJ and New York, NY — 2015-Present       Prepare and teach lessons for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students (ages 5 to 70) across multiple platforms

 

Relevant coursework: Piano in the Classroom; Piano Pedagogy 1 & 2

HONORS & AWARDS

William C. Byrd Piano Competition 2024

Semi-Finalist

New Jersey MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition — 2020

State Representative

Florida MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition — 2018   

Honorable Mention

Best Prokofiev Performance, Great Composers Competition — 2018

2nd Prize

Gray Perry Collegiate Piano Competition — 2016

2nd Prize

ENKOR International Chamber Music Competition — 2015/2016

2nd Prize

American Protégé Int’l Piano and Strings Competition — 2015   

Honorable Mention

Annual Piano Competition (Bach-themed) at Florida State University — 2015

2nd Prize

Piano Accolades (Senior Division), Mannes Prep — 2013

1st Place

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Global Musicians League Performance — Summer 2024

Liszt Hungarian Rhaspody No. 14

William C. Byrd Piano Competition — Spring 2024

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23

Kinhaven Music School, Young Artist Seminar — Spring 2023

Ferrenc’s Piano Quintet in A Minor, op.30

Mannes School of Music — Fall 2019

French Art Song 1 Ensemble(s)   

Florida State University, Senior Recital — Spring 2018

Beethoven’s Sonata in E minor, Op. 90;

Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 6, Op. 82;

Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E major, WTC Book II, BWV 878;

Liszt’s Rhapsodie Espagnole, S. 254

Kinhaven Music School, Young Artist Seminar — Spring 2017   

Beethoven’s Trio for Piano and Strings in E-flat major, Op. 70, No. 2

Florida State University, Junior Recital — Spring 2017

Schumann’s Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6, Book 1

Rzewski’s Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (1980)

Beethoven’s Sonata in C major, Op. 53, “Waldstein” 

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Winners’ Recital — Fall 2015        

Debussy’s Pour le piano, Prelude

Meadowmount School of Music Concert — Summer 2015

Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70, “Ghost”

Princeton Festival Performance — Spring  2015

Bach’s English Suite No. 6 in D minor, Prelude

Florida State University, Piano Forum — 2014-2018

Duo Piano Ensemble(s) 

Masterclass Performances

Nina Lelchuk, Ray Chen, William Porter, Boris Berman, Jonathan Bass

Accompanying — 2015-Present

Paid Accompanist

Accompanied classical vocalists and instrumentalists in a wide range of music literature from Mozart and Mendelssohn to Hindemith and Barber

Summer Festivals

International Keyboard Institute & Festival — 2017. 2018

Kinhaven Music School, Young Artist Seminar — 2016. 2017

Meadowmount School of Music (studied with Eric Larsen) — 2015

Kinhaven Music School, Senior Session (coached by Adrienne Kim) — 2011-2014

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