WSU Piano Faculty
Karen Nguyen
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Vietnamese-American pianist Karen Nguyen is recognized for her commitment to the arts as both a performing artist and pedagogue. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from Arizona State University, where she studied with Brazilian pianist Caio Pagano. Karen has also studied with Portuguese pianist and pedagogue Manuela Pagano, to whom she credits much of her love for teaching. Karen’s performances have delighted audiences across the United States, Puerto Rico, Portugal, England, and Italy.
An avid chamber musician, Karen maintains an active performance schedule as a member of the Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo. Her recent performances include appearances at Washington State University, University of Idaho, Nicholls State University, the Pelican’s Chamber Music Series, the Round Top Festival Institute Chamber Music Series, the MusicaNova Orchestra Chamber Series, and as a chamber artist with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico.
A passionate pedagogue, Karen currently maintains a private studio in Pullman, Washington and previously taught for several years at the East Valley Yamaha Music School in Chandler, Arizona. Her students have won prizes in national and international competitions, and have been admitted to esteemed music festivals and programs. She is frequently invited as a masterclass artist and clinician with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico (ICOPR), a program that connects children and communities in Puerto Rico to classical music through free concerts and educational outreach.
Karen is a dedicated advocate for youth music education. Together with her husband, violinist Christiano Rodrigues, she frequently visits middle and high schools in Eastern Washington to perform and discuss the transformative power of classical music.
In addition to her teaching and performing roles, Karen serves as the Director of Online Engagement, Assistant Director of Community Engagement, and Archivist for the ICOPR.
Graduate Instructors
Rebecca Kelley
Rebecca Kelley is a graduate student in Piano Performance at Washington State University (WSU). She teaches three collegiate group piano classes and collaborates with other musicians at the university. She has won awards in various competitions including MTNA South Dakota Young Artist First Place in November 2022, the 2021 Sonata/Sonatina Competition at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and MTNA Senior Division 2020-2021. In 2022, Rebecca worked as a stage manager and performer at InterHarmony International Music Festival 2022 in Aqui Terme, Italy.
Rebecca previously studied with Alessandra Feris at the University of South Dakota. Her current teacher is Fabio Menchetti at WSU. Rebecca has also participated in masterclasses with artists such as Alexander Kobrin and Pavlina Dokovska.
Her most recent project is her album “When I Say Goodnight” released under her artist name Polar-Piano. You can stream her music on YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, iTunes, and more.
Tanner Burns
