Lauren J. Puckett

Lauren Puckett, associate professor of piano, teaches piano and piano pedagogy. She is a graduate of The Eastman School of Music where she received a degree in Piano Performance with Maria Luisa Faini, and Cleveland State University where she studied with pianist, Andrius Kuprevicius and harpsichordist, Janina Kuzma. Prior to her appointment at Hardin-Simmons University, she was active as a pianist and teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, and Miami, Florida. She has taught at The Cleveland Music School Settlement where she was recipient of The Nathan Fryer Award, Cuyahoga Community College, Notre Dame College and The North Miami Conservatory of Fine Arts.

Puckett frequently collaborates with her husband, Mark, and together they recorded a CD titled “Rendezvous” which includes two-piano and four-hand works by Shostakovich, Fauré, Ravel, Milhaud and Lutoslawski. They presented a lecture/recital of 20th century compositions at the Texas Music Teachers Association State Convention and performed in Dresden, Germany during Chopin Tour 2005. They were guest artists with The Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, and in 2010, performed Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra.Puckett is also active as a chamber musician and has performed with The Abilene Chamber Players.

In addition to teaching, Puckett is in demand as an adjudicator and has presented symposiums on improvisation to music teachers organizations and college groups. She is an active member of Abilene Music Teachers Association, a nationally certified member of Music Teachers National Association and received the 2008 Teacher of the Year Award from AMTA. She serves on the Texas Music Teachers Association Board of Directors and oversees the areas of MTNA/TMTA Performance, MTNA/TMTA Composition and Collaborative Arts.

She and her husband founded and direct The Abilene Summer Piano Camp, which has taken place yearly on the campus of HSU since 1995.