Spencer Myer

The American pianist Spencer Myer returned to prominence in 2017 through a sympathetic recording of William Bolcom’s piano rags issued by the Steinway & Sons label, an affiliation that pointed toward further significant achievements ahead. Born in Cleveland, he spent his formative years in the North Ridgeville suburb of Ohio before enrolling at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he trained under Peter Takács and received his degree in 2000. He continued his studies with a master’s program at New York’s Juilliard School and completed a doctorate at the State University of Stony Brook in June 2005. Competitive successes had already begun to accumulate by then, starting with first prize at the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in South Africa. In 2005 he finished fourth at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, whose visibility often attracts major conductors and reviewers. Additional recognition arrived in 2008 with a gold medal from the New Orleans International Piano Competition. Earlier, in 2000, he had secured first place in the Marilyn Horne Foundation International Competition as an accompanist. Myer has appeared across the United States and abroad, with multiple South African concerto and recital engagements occurring in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2015. His discography includes the 2007 Harmonia Mundi album Preludes and Variations along with subsequent online-only releases. The Steinway connection originated in 2012 after an acclaimed recital at San Jose’s Trianon Theatre, organized by the Steinway Society of the Bay Area. Myer’s range extends from the demanding virtuoso works of Liszt and Albéniz featured in that program to the contrasting Bolcom material recorded for Steinway. He is also recognized for addressing audiences directly from the stage to introduce and explain his selections. Currently he serves on the piano faculty at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.