About this Artist
DR. NANCY FIERRO is a noted concert pianist, lecturer, and author. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano from the University of Southern California and a Certificate in Piano, Theory, and Analysis from the American Conservatory of Fine Arts in France. In addition to her mastery of the traditional repertoire, she is considered an authority on music by women.
As a concert artist, Dr. Fierro has been hailed by critics for an interpretive style both powerful and dramatic. Legendary musician Nadia Boulanger praised her as a “real pianistic talent” with deep musical understanding. At Boulanger’s invitation, Nancy gave a concert in the Jeu de Paume salon of the Conservatoire Americain in France. Other international appearances have included performances in Mexico, Canada, and Germany.
Dr. Fierro recorded one of the first compilations of women’s music, entitled “Premiere.” This successful album was followed by “The Romance of Women’s Music” and “Riches and Rags,” commissioned by the Polish Music Reference Center at the University of Southern California. She has also given several premieres of significant works by women, notably the first American performance and recording of the Sonata No. 2 for piano by the Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz. A professional speaker, Nancy has been a guest-artist lecturer on numerous university campuses, for the Music Teachers National Association State Convention, and for the Music Teachers Association in California.
Dr. Fierro has received several awards including a Certificate of Honor from the Third International Congress of Women in Music and the Sigma Alpha Iota Radio-Television Award for her radio production of “Nine Centuries of Women in Music.” For five consecutive years, Nancy was also selected by the California Arts Council to participate in the Touring Artists program. Currently, Nancy Fierro maintains a private studio, lectures extensively on the 12th-century composer Hildegard of Bingen, and is on the piano faculty at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.