Sallie Pollack, D.M.A.

Oklahoma-based pianist, Sallie Pollack, is Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano at the University of Central Oklahoma where she also serves as the UCO Piano Division Head and director of the Kuleshov International Piano Festival and Competition. A versatile and engaging performer, she has performed as soloist and collaborator both nationally and internationally. "Dazzling… truly natural... her sensitivity elevated the performance, beautifully complementing the artistic decisions of the ensemble" (The Oklahoman, 2017), aptly describes her approach to music-making and collaboration. 

 

Dr. Pollack has performed in diverse venues such as Carnegie Hall, Bass Performance Hall, Meyerson Symphony Center, Jacoby Symphony Hall, Krannert Center, and The Redlands Bowl.  She has collaborated with the Texas Boys Choir, Nextet Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, ClaviVoce, Post-Oak Trio, Lupine Trio and Trio OTIS.   She has coached for the Mons Conservatory Opera Theatre, Bavarian Theatre-Hof, University of Nevada Opera Theatre, Illinois Opera Theatre, TCU Opera Theatre, and the UCO Opera Theatre and has been pianist for the Fort Worth Ballet, the UCO Ballet, the National Flute Association, the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association, American Choral Directors Association, NATS, MET National Council Region Auditions, BrightMusic Chamber Ensemble, Suzuki WOW Institute, OU Clarinet Symposium, and ClarinetFest. She has presented at the Norman Music Teachers Association, the Central Oklahoma Music Teachers Association, The MacDowell Club of Allied Arts, American Guild of Organists, UNT CollabFest and the College Music Society regional and national conventions.

 

Sallie Pollack is equally dedicated to teaching and has received UCO’s Vanderford Initiative Award which honors excellence in transformative learning. She has written curriculum and spearheaded the Graduate Collaborative Piano degree at UCO where her students collaborate in ballet studios, choral ensembles, large ensembles, historical music groups, chamber ensembles, vocal and instrumental partnerships, and music theatre and operatic productions.

 

She has performed with renowned artists such as Phil Smith, Adam Unsworth, Renee Siebert, Charles Castleman, Alexa Still, Lucy Shelton, Richard Nunemaker, Jonathon Holden, Tom Shelton, Paul Salumonovich, Lynn Gackle, Andrew Schulman and Amy Porter to name a few.  She has recently been a featured artist on 88.7 KUCO’s award winning Performance Oklahoma and can be heard on the recordings: American Byways: The Music of Michael Daugherty with the UCO Wind Symphony, Winds and Voices: Living Artists Recordings Vol. 1, ClaviVoce’s The Gift of Love, What Cheer, and Live!.  She has collaborated on two recordings to be released this year of 21st Century Chamber Operas and commissioned works for the LUPINE and OTIS Trios.

 

Along with her UCO duties, she is also currently the staff pianist for Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City, and is on the faculty at the Norman School for Strings, the North Carolina Summer Institute for Choral Arts, the Clear Creek Music Festival, and BLOYS Camp meeting.

 

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, she has studied with Pamela Mia Paul, José Feghali, Eric Dalheim, Dalia Ouziel, and John Forconi. She received a 1996 Fulbright scholarship for study in Belgium.  She holds degrees TCU (BM and Artist Diploma), University of Illinois (MM), Manhattan School of Music (DMA), and the Royal Conservatoire of Belgium (Premier Prix).  Dr. Pollack resides in Edmond with her husband, rock historian, Peter Pollack, three children. Max, Laura, Zachary and malitpoo, Elwood. 

 

MPER 1121 - Keyboard Sight Reading
MPER 1521 - Collaborative Piano I
MPER 2521 - Collaborative Piano II
MPER 4521 - Collaborative Piano III
MPER 5321 - Collaborative Piano Graduate Practicum
MPER 1000 - 5010 - Applied Collaborative Piano (undergraduate and graduate) MPER 1000 - 5010 - Applied Piano (undergraduate and graduate)
MPER 4821 - Collaborative Piano Recital
MPER 5822 - Collaborative Graduate Recital
MUS 5182 - Collaborative Piano Literature I/Instrumental
MUS 5192 - Collaborative Piano Literature II/Vocal
Instrumental Jury Coach
Various Graduate Recitals and Comprehensive Committees - member and chair

Concert Chorale, Cantilena and Chamber Singers - Coach/Pianist

 

Manhattan School of Music - Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano, 2009
University of Illinois - Masters of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano, 1998
Royal Conservatoire de Musique de Mons, Belgium - Premier Prix, 1996
Texas Christian University - Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, 1995
Texas Christian University - Artist Diploma in Piano Performance,1993
University of North Texas - Undergraduate Studies in Piano Performance, 1989-91

 

UCO Faculty Artist Concert Series (over 50 concerts) 

SWACDA Convention Honor Choir Performance 

OKC Phil Concert Preview with Joyce Yang

BrightMusic Chamber Ensemble, featured soloist Kuleshov Competition Coordinator

COMTA and NAMTA - Presenter: “CollabBAG of Tricks”

COLLABFEST at UNT - Joint Presenter: “Elevate the Choral Experience“

UCO Chamber Orchestra, concerto soloist

TEDX - Performance with Post Oak Trio

Norman Music Teachers Association - Joint Presenter: “A Day in the Life“

UCO Presidential Vanderford Initiative Award 

UCO Symphony Orchestra, concerto soloist 

College Music Society National Convention, St. Louis - Performance of “Real Genius”  by Sam Magrill with Post Oak Trio

CMS Regional Convention, Tahlequah - Joint presenter, The Deepest Desire by Jake Heggie

American Guild of Organists, Ft. Worth - Joint presenter and guest artist: “Breathing a Breath of Joy into the Choral Rehearsal”

ACDA Southeastern Conference, Jacksonville 

“Connections”, recording with Post Oak and Lupine Trios Bon Appétit, chamber opera by Lee Hoiby  

Pianist for OU Clarinet Symposium

Ft. Worth Symphony Concerts in the Garden, soloist 

UCO Emergent Faculty Award

NEW PEOPLE by Michael Colgrass, recording

American Byways, the Music of Michael Daugherty, recording with UCO Wind Symphony

Pianist for the ACDA Convention, Dallas

Featured Performer on KUCO’s Performance Oklahoma

Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, soloist

Holiday Concert with the Pops, Bass Hall 

UCO New Faculty Start up Grant

MacDowell Clubs of OKC - Joint Presentation – “Tricks of the Trade from the

    Accompanist’s Bench”

UCO New Faculty Start of Grant

Recording of 20th century flute duos 

Concerto soloist with Westminster Orchestra 

World premiere of works by Virko Baley Carnegie Hall

Chamber performances featuring new music by living composers

CLAVIVOCE - Cross-country tour with this four piano/voice ensemble

Carnegie Hall performance with Texas Tech faculty 

Concours International Bach Competition, Brussels, Competition finalist

Fulbright Scholarship winner for study in Mons, Belgium 

Van Cliburn Piano Institute - Concerto competition winner with Ft. Worth

    Symphony Orchestra

Colorado College Summer Conservatory, Concerto soloist

 

Performances with major concert artists including: Phil Smith, principal trumpet, New York Philharmonic; Renee Siebert, flutist, New York Philharmonic; Charles Castleman, violin, Eastman School of Music; Alexa Still, flute, University of Colorado; Richard Nunemaker, principal clarinet, Houston Symphony; Andrew Shulman, cello, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Lucy Shelton, Soprano, concert and recording artist; Tess Remy-Schumacher, cello, University of Central Oklahoma; Paul Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale; Tom Shelton, Westminster Choir College; Dennis Shrock, TCU Chorale; Lynn Gackle, Baylor University; Karen Kennedy, Frost School of Music; Kenny Potter, Charolotte Symphony Chorus; SigridJohnson,St.OlafCollege; AdamUnsworth,University ofMichigan,DetroitSymphony; KimberlyColeLuevano, UniversityofNorthTexas; TALEAEnsemble; BrightMusic Chamber Players. Collaborative pianist for many master class artists,ex.BoSkovhus,Catherine Malfitano,LaurenFlanigan, Martin Katz, Jennifer Koh, HyeJin Kim, and Augustin Hadelich