Artist Bio

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:08:00 +0000

Portland-area musician Laura McMillan manages to say a lot “Without Words.”

Her debut recording melds a deep grounding in the classical tradition with a love of

Broadway and an appreciation for the more gentle lyricism associated with the Windham Hill label.

The CD already has received rave reviews from listeners who find something to suit any mood. Some praise its gentle, soothing passages for the ability to capture the listener attention without bombast. Others are captured by the up-tempo pieces that can’t help but put a little bounce in the listener’s step.

All listeners are captured by the natural purity of the music and McMillan’s obvious compositional sophistication.

A natural musician from a young age, McMillan started her piano career under the tutelage of well-known Marylhurst University piano teacher Sister Emerentia Berndorfner. She opened her piano studio, Perhaps Piano, at the age of 15 and has taught piano ever since.

When it came time for college, McMillan naturally focused on the piano. She attended the University of Illinios at Champaign/Urbana where she studied with nationally known Beethoven expert, teacher and performer Dr. Kenneth Drake. She continued her studies at Portland State University with acclaimed local pianist Dr. Harold Gray, a founding member of classical music ensemble The Florestan Trio.

McMillan graduated with professional degrees in performance, composition, and pedagogy.

Since then, McMillan has performed professionally while carving a reputation as one of the Portland-area’s top teachers. She has won a Music Teacher’s Association competition and received superior ratings from the National Federation of Music. Her students have received fourteen full-ride scholarships to music schools, including one student accepted into the renowned San Francisco Conservatory and another, accepted into New England Conservatory.

In addition to her thriving piano studio, Perhaps Piano, now, McMillan is putting the focus back on her performing career with stellar results. Listen to “Without Words” and you’ll understand why it’s taken up permanent residence in so many local CD players.

“Without Words” is available at cdbaby.com, amazon.com, and perhapspiano.com. To watch McMillan perform, go to YouTube channel lauramcmillanpiano.

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Artist Bio