Agnes Poltorak-Lewis

New to the faculty at Sarasota Music Conservatory, Agnes Poltorak-Lewis recently relocated from Princeton, NJ where she served as the Adjunct Professor of Piano and coordinator of the Secondary Piano Division at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. For over 20 years, she also served on the faculty of Westminster Conservatory as an instructor of piano, chamber music and theory, and co-director of the Young Artist Program for gifted and talented students.

Agnes received her Bachelor’s Degree in Piano from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC (Canada) where she studied with Edward Parker and Alice Enns and her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, NJ. There she studied piano with Ena Bronstein Barton and pedagogy with Phyllis Alpert Lehrer and Louise Goss, a piano pedagogy pioneer from the New School for Music Study.

Agnes is equally passionate about teaching private and group lessons where students can experience music in an intimate setting and supportive environment. She enjoys working with students of all ages and to explore nuances of various styles in classical music. Her pupils have participated in numerous piano festivals and competitions winning awards and piano scholarships. Several of her students performed at the Carnegie Hall in NY and at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.

Agnes is an active member of MTNA and a frequent adjudicator for various piano competitions and festivals. She was delighted to be on the panel of the first Student Piano Competition co-sponsored by the Sarasota Music Conservatory and the State College of Florida. She enjoys playing chamber music and is looking forward to exploring Sarasota and its diverse music and art scene.