BIOGRAPHY

Admired for his versatility, sensitivity, harmonic sensibility, and imaginative colors, Joshua Pielemeier is a classical pianist originally from Washington state and currently living in Arizona, who performs regularly as a collaborative and solo pianist in a wide variety of contexts and varied events. Joshua is also a dedicated teacher and educator, currently in the educational partnership program with Steinway and Sons. 

Beginning his studies at a young age in Everett, Washington, Joshua excelled rapidly in local competitions, festivals, and performances, including placing first in the 2005 Seattle Young Artists’ Music Festival, then making his orchestral debuts with piano concerti by MacDowell and W.A. Mozart. With a passion for performing, Joshua went on to pursue academic studies in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music, University of Arizona, and Arizona State University.

In May 2024, Joshua graduated with his Master's of Music in Performance with a Concentration in Collaborative Piano, With Distinction, from Arizona State University, under the astute direction and mentorship of of Dr. Miki Aoki and Dr. Andrew Campbell, where he also studied with Robert Hamilton. Previous teachers have included Judy Baker, Russell Ryan, John Milbauer, Tanis Gibson, Douglas Humphreys, and Marissa Ramos, having also received instruction from Gerardo Teissonnière and Leonard Richter. He has performed in masterclasses with Nelita True, Barry Snyder, and Craig Shepard, and received chamber music coaching from the Eroica Trio and Brooklyn Rider String Quartet. Recent performance experience includes Dohnányi’s Piano Quintet No. 1 at the 2024 Oracle Chamber Music Festival, as a scholarship recipient, as well as orchestral pianist with the ASU Wind Symphony on tour in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he had the wonderful opportunity to work closely with composers Viet Cuong, Steve Bryant, and Michael Doughtery. Joshua has recently operated as a rehearsal pianist for Chandler Opera Company’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata.

With a special interest in highlighting the works of underrepresented composers, Joshua is active as an instrumentalist and performer throughout the Arizona region, while retaining a dedicated interest in composition himself, having written small works for solo piano, vocal, and chamber music. He is also a proficient organist, arranger, improviser, and educator. Apart from musical interests and activities, you may find him reading, swimming, or exploring local cuisines and bookshops on a given day around the Phoenix area, where he lives with his wife Jessica and their precocious cat Kira.