Geena Kam is a classical pianist, collaborator, pedagogue, and arts advocate. Currently a piano faculty member at Saint Mary’s College and a program assistant at Fischoff National Chamber Music Association, Notre Dame, IN, Dr. Kam has concertized throughout the Midwest, Asia, and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician.
Born in Korea, Geena's family moved every two years from air force base to base in rural towns of Korea. Every time she changed her home and school (she went to three different elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools!), she found great comfort from playing her mom's old, often out of tune, upright piano.
Geena decided to pursue a life in music when she moved to the States as an exchange student. Since then, she has devoted herself in learning, practicing, performing, and teaching music.
In her spare time, she loves to read pastry cookbooks and try new recipes, as one of her childhood dreams was to become a pastry chef (and she still secretly hopes to become one someday).
Geena lives in Granger, Indiana with her data scientist husband Alan who loves to build Star Wars legos, Harry Potter fan daughter Annabelle and son Austin who loves Marvel superheroes.
Education
2012 D.M.A. Piano Performance and Pedagogy, University of Iowa
- Thesis: Analytical and pedagogical approach to the Sonatine for piano by Donald Martin Jenni (1937-2006)
2007 M.A. Piano Performance, Eastern Michigan University
2005 B.A. Piano Performance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Positions
2020-present Program Assistant, Fischoff National Chamber Music Association, Notre Dame, IN
2015-present Piano Faculty, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
- Instructor for group piano class and applied piano lessons for music and non-music majors
2011-2015 Piano Faculty, Indiana University South Bend, IN
- Instructor for group piano class and aural skills for music majors
- Instructor for music appreciation class for non-music majors
2011-2012 Piano Faculty, University of Notre Dame, IN
- Instructor for group piano class and applied piano lessons for non-music majors
- Accompanist for voice studio
2009-2011 Piano Faculty, Kirkwood Community College, IA
- Instructor for applied piano lessons for music and non-music majors
2007-2011 Teaching Assistant, University of Iowa
- Instructor for group piano class for music and non-music majors
- Accompanist for instrumental & voice studio
2005-2007 Graduate Assistant, Eastern Michigan University
- Accompanist for opera workshop, instrumental & voice studio
Professional Experience
2011-present South Bend Area Music Teachers Association
- Festival Director: creates and directs the festivals & competitions for the pre-college students
- Stickley Piano Competition Committee: plans and organizes an annual piano competition
the annual scholarship audition for high school and college students manages and updates scholarship & grant applications
- Website Manager: manages and updates www.sbamta.org
2019-present Founder and Artistic Director of Buchanan Art Center Summer Concert Series
- Directs a free public concert series for the South West Michigan/North Eastern Indiana community
2019-present Artistic Director of Indiana Music for Food Concert Series
- Organizes a charity concert series benefiting the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
2018-2019. Indiana University South Bend Piano Series Advisory Committee
- Participates in committee that oversees and plans the concert series