Tanner Winchester 

Tanner Winchester began his piano studies with Sharon Stricklin (Cinq-Mars) at the age of seven. He continued his piano studies with Dr. Paul Nitsch and Ginger Wyrick, both of Queens University of Charlotte. In 2010, he began studies with Dr. Richard McKee of Campbell University and Dr. Kent Lyman of Meredith College. Because of his studies with Dr. Paul Nitsch, Tanner is a 6th generation Beethoven student.​ In addition to his formal studies, Tanner has participated in masterclasses with Leon Fleisher, Hector Moreno, Francesco Attesti, Dr. David Higgs, and coaching with Dr. David Baskeyfield.

 

Tanner is a three-time recipient of the Robert Stigall Organ Scholarship, awarded by the Charlotte Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), where he studied with Nancy Watson and subsequently with Ginger Wyrick, both of Queens University of Charlotte. Tanner also received additional scholarships from the Durham-Chapel Hill AGO chapter, Charlotte Piano Teachers Forum, Queens University of Charlotte, and other endowments for the arts.

 

His career as a pianist has included serving as a collaborative pianist for the International Young Artists Project in Monte San Savino, Italy, in 2015, where he collaborated with the faculty of Meredith College and the University of Toledo in presenting performances of Gioachino Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica. During his time with IYAP, he pursued intensive study under Francesco Attesti and Hector Moreno of the Conservatorio di Siena and collaborated with Maestro Federico Bardazzi of Florence and Maestro Paolo Bellocci of Opera di Firenze. 

 

In May 2017, Tanner performed Dan Goeller's work, In His Own Words, as part of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Wittenberg, Germany, in collaboration with the choir and orchestra of Colonial Baptist Church, Cary, NC, and The Master's Seminary, Los Angeles, CA.

 

Tanner is active as a collaborative pianist/organist for churches, orchestras, and schools in Virginia and throughout North and South Carolina. He has performed with the North Carolina Symphony, and as collaborative pianist for musicians in the North Carolina Symphony, the Durham Symphony, The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, the Raleigh Flute Choir, the Union Symphony and has served as accompanist for Theatre Raleigh.

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In addition to performing, Tanner is active as an adjudicator, classical recording engineer, and serves as Dean for the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.