Todd Van Kekerix
Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy
Todd Van Kekerix is Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy and Class Piano Coordinator at the University of Houston (UH). Prior to his appointment at UH, he was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Oklahoma. Other former piano teaching positions include The New School for Music Study in Kingston, NJ (2007-2016) where he was Director of Enrichment Programs and Kean University in Union, NJ (2011-2016). While living in New Jersey, he also maintained an active piano studio of his own. His degrees include a DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma (Dissertation: “The Contributions of Elvina Truman Pearce to Piano Pedagogy”), Artist Certificate and MM in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Business Administration from Augustana University.
In addition to teaching, Van Kekerix has given presentations and workshops for local, national, and international audiences. Most recently, his research was presented virtually at the 6th International Conference Association of Music and Medicine (2020). Internationally, he has given recitals and workshops at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and Shaoxing University in China during fall 2019. Nationally, he has presented at The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and MTNA National Conference. Lastly, he has been a guest lecturer for numerous state and local music teachers associations and pedagogy classes around the United States. He has articles published by American Music Teacher and Clavier Companion was recently invited to contribute to Clavier Companion’s Inspiring Artistry series.
Van Kekerix is currently serving as the Commissioned Composer chair for Texas Music Teachers Association and is a member of MTNA, TMTA, and Forum Music Teachers Association. He serves as faculty advisor for MTNA at UH. He has also collaborated with the teachers from Northwest Houston Music Teachers Association offering masterclass experiences for his pedagogy students in both fall and spring semesters. In addition to NCTM certification, he holds Royal College of Music (RCM) certifications in beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.
In 2020, Van Kekerix was awarded a grant by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts to provide keyboard music-making experiences for long-term caregivers in Houston in collaboration with artist, Marisa Moran Jahn. Other significant awards and honors include The Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching from the University of Oklahoma (2018). While at OU, he was chosen as a soloist for their annual Concerto-Gala Concert, where he performed Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto: Finale: Alla breve. Other performance highlights include Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall and the Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt, Austria.
Recent pedagogy students’ achievements include an essay chosen as runner-up in Piano Magazine’s collegiate essay contest and the publication of original pedagogical repertoire in Russia. While serving as faculty advisor, the MTNA Collegiate Chapter at UH was awarded the first TMTEF Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award at the 2019 TMTA Convention. His graduates have successfully completed MTNA Professional Certification and have presented at TMTA and the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy.
During his downtime, Van Kekerix enjoys downhill skiing, traveling, and exploring new gastronomic delights and cookbooks.