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Leonard Richter is professor of music at Walla Walla College and assistant in music at Whitman College. He holds degrees from Conservatory in Ostrava, Czech Republic; Bachelor of Arts degree in German and English from the University of Waterloo; Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City; and Doctor of Philosophy degree from New York University. He is an active performer, lecturer and adjudicator. In 1987 he received the Burlington Northern award for excellence in teaching. His students are consistently recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally, for their artistic playing. "A highly gifted pianist, musician and teacher." -- Adele Marcus
"He is indeed a scholar, pianist, and teacher of the first magnitude. I found his students outstandingly well prepared, some of the most beautifully taught of any that I have heard in other classes that I have given throughout the country." - Donald Walker, Professor of Piano, Northern Illinois University A native of Czech Republic, Leonard Richter received much of his formal education there. Graduating with high honors from the People's Conservatory in Ostrava, he went on to Palacky University to major in German and English. While in Czechoslovakia Richter premiered works by the contemporary composer Vladimir Svatos, won several prizes in Young People's Creativity contests in piano, and in 1961 was chosen to perform in the Beethoven festival in Lichnowski Castle in Hradec. After leaving Czech Republic in 1968, Richter emigrated to Canada where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in German and English at the University of Waterloo. Continuing his studies in music he earned Master of Music degrees in piano performance from Andrews University in Michigan and in 1976 he received another Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. In 1984 he completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree from New York University. Richter has studied piano with Anna Skalicka, from the Brno Conservatory; Donald Walker, from Northern Illinois University; Margarette Parsons-Poole, from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto; Dora Zaslavsky, Manhattan School of Music; and Adele Marcus, from The Juilliard School. Presently as professor of music at Walla Walla College, Washington, he coordinates all aspects of the piano department there and he also is assistant in music at Whitman College. He is an active performer, lecturer, and adjudicator. In 1987 he received from Walla Walla College the Burlington Northern Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching. His students are recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for their artistic playing. In 1984 his student was national winner of the Mason-Hamlin Piano Competition. In the past few years his students have been soloists with the Fort Worth, Utah, Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Mid-Columbia, Idaho-Washington, Oregon East and Walla Walla Symphony orchestras. In 1993, for the second consecutive year, his students received the first and second prizes in the Northwest Wurlitzer Collegiate Competition. In June 1993 his student was a finalist in the Gina Bachauer International Competition in Utah. In 1995 two former students were accepted to the Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. In July 1996 student Stephen Beus was first prize winner of the Junior Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition held in Salt Lake City,Utah. In February 1997 Stephen was first prize winner of the Corpus Christi Young Artist Competition in Texas. In March 2000 Stephen was first prize National winner of the MTNA Highschool competition. In 2003 he was the national collegiate winner of the Steinway Piano Competition sponsored by the MTNA. |
