Ohio native and pianist, Lydia Sander currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, teaching locally as a studio instructor at Parker Piano Studios. After graduating summa cum laude from Ohio University Honors Tutorial College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and the Ohio University Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Ms. Sander went on to earn a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Texas Christian University. Her former instructors include Mr. Harold Martina, Dr. Ann Gipson, Dr. Emely Phelps, Dr. Christopher Fisher, and Dr. Stephanie Wu.
A versatile musician, Ms. Sander has established herself as an active performer, collaborator, pedagogue, and lecturer. In her performing career, she has appeared as a solo artist in various competitions, recitals, churches, and special events, also collaborating with instrumentalists, vocalists, choirs, and dancers. Recent highlighted artistic achievements include performing with piano duo partner, Lindsay Bastian in the 2023 TCU Phi Kappa Lamda Honors Recital, performing as collaborative pianist with the Ohio University Women’s Ensemble at OMEA (2020), and being awarded first place in the 2020 OMTA Graves Adult Piano Duet/Duo competition with duo partner, Olivia Connors.
Ms. Sander promotes collaboration, community, and outreach through interdisciplinary art performance and pedagogy. She has completed multiple inter-art performances with dance and various other art forms in addition to creating a novel, interdisciplinary art program for music students. Through these multi-art experiences, Ms. Sander encourages music teachers and students to connect with the community around them and explore the many immersive benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration.
While collaboration and performance are key to her musicial career, Ms. Sander is most passionate about touching and impacting students' lives through music. Her heart to meet each student where they are, cultivate their unique strengths, and utilize music to develop the whole person are the driving motivations behind her teaching and commitment to student success. As a music-teaching professional, Ms. Sander is a dedicated member of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and distinguishes herself as a lecturer, presenting at state and national conferences.
In her leisure time, Ms. Sander enjoys composing and arranging. Her debut piano arrangements can be found in the recently published The Joy of Hymns, book 1, a collection comprised of elementary student/teacher arrangements. The Joy of Hymns is a hymn series project, published by Piano Safari.
Also a proficient harpist, Ms. Sander has been awarded multiple honors for her performances. Notable engagements include collaborations with The Ohio University Symphony Orchestra, The Cardinal Health Orchestra, NPAC's 2018 production of The Fantasticks, as well as performances for The Ohio Society Daughters of the American Revolution conferences and events and The Lancaster Celtic Festival.