Instructor Spotlight: Richard Bicknase

Since 2015, Richard Bicknase has provided piano accompaniment for more than 80 professional demo recordings used by Concordia Publishing House to promote their new choral music. While Richard has made his career at the piano, his first musical love is choral music, and he loves to listen to choral music by composers from the Baltic States such as Rihards Dubra, Tõnu Kõrvits, Cyrillus Kreek, and Georgs Pelēcis, performed by choirs such as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Heinavanker, the Latvian Radio Choir, and State Choir LATVIJA. In addition to teaching the piano, Richard regularly composes his own hymns and poetry, which he sees as a means to express truth with beauty. Richard first learned to read music under his mother’s tutelage, inspiring him to continue his studies and earn his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Richard is also a vocalist and organist, and he enjoys combining all of his musical skills to provide music every week for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Grabill, IN.

“I love teaching at Pearl Arts because it allows me to help students develop their love of music into skills that provide an outlet for their creativity and expression, and achieve growth and success in tackling both musical challenges and challenges they face in other areas of life.” – Richard