Vera Parkin - 1984 Winner
  Vera Parkin performed as a keyboardist in the St. Louis Symphony from 1987-2018 , and is an active and award winning pedagogue, arts administrator, and chambermusician. She is particularly known as a collaborative pianist and has worked in professional theater and opera, including OTSL and Union Avenue Opera. Vera has strong ties to the Suzuki string community, having served as an accompanist to legendary string pedagogue John Kendall for 10 years. As founding Artistic Director of the Community Music School's Preparatory Program, she has supervised over 450 of the the region’s most advanced young musicians over a 22 year period. Vera has also taught internationally through the cultural diplomacy agencies American Voices and American-Lebanese Talent Education.
Vera is everybody's accompanist and friend. She has been an adjunct professor at Webster University since 1997 and is also a staff accompanist at SIUE, where she regularly performs the string repertoire, including early music. She was recognized as the St. Louis Symphony's Music Educator of the Year in 2011.
“More than anything else, I am devoted to helping students develop the skills, realm of imagination, insight, personal character, and habits needed to be useful and employable in our field. I also see the tremendous role music and musicians may play in society in terms of developing needed qualities such as empathy, compassion, pursuit of beauty, and disdain for the course, crass and indifferent elements of our popular culture. I want my students to be ambassadors for beauty and generosity of spirit, and will encourage them personally and professionally to view music as the means for distributing good will and grace in this life. ~ Vera” 
"My Artist Presentation Society recital was an important catalyst in establishing my career. The members of the Society have remained incredibly supportive of me ever since. They are totally committed to their cause and have contributed so much to the musical life of St. Louis." - Vera Parkin
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