Meet Diana Murray-Tudsbury

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.”
~ Plato

 
Her passion is music education. Having taught piano, band, choir and general music to both elementary and secondary level students, Diana Murray-Tudsbury chose to add to her repertoire by teaching piano classes at Azusa Pacific University, CSU Sacramento and American River College. As a solo pianist and classical music advocate, Diana also offers lecture recitals to educate and promote classical works by compelling, well-loved composers.

A California native, Diana received her undergraduate degree in music (piano performance) from Azusa Pacific University before earning her M.A. from California State University, Sacramento, where she was awarded the President’s Citation for the Best Project in the Field in Humanities for her master’s thesis. Her primary teacher-mentors have been Dorothy Hwang and Dr. Gene Savage. Ever the student of the musical arts, Diana continues her studies with University of the Pacific’s Resident Artist Frank Wiens.

Diana’s extensive accomplishments include:

  • Accompanist for CSUS Concert Choir and Master’s Chorus under the direction of Dr. Donald Kendrick
  • Accompanist for Sacramento Master Singers and American River College Choir under the direction of Dr. Ralph Hughes
  • Accompanist for Sacramento Youth Chorus and Sierra College Concert Choir under the direction of Dorla Menmuir
  • Performed with CSUS voice professor Claudia Kitka for Dr. Daniel Kingman’s A Program of Compositions in Nevada City, CA
  • Accompanied California state winners at the annual Music Teachers Association (MTAC) Concerto Competition
  • Performed with the Sacramento Opera Association’s production of Hansel and Gretel
  • Guest pianist for Sierra Nevada Winds directed by Bill Hill
  • Appeared at Festival for New American Music as a student scholarship winner on two occasions
  • Appearances at the Sacramento Community Center and the Mondavi Center as principal orchestral pianist for Sacramento Choral Society

Recent concerts include showcasing Diana’s favorite Frederic Chopin works at Simply Chopin, A Musical Journey where she explored keyboard works from J.S. Bach through Lowell Liebermann, as well as an MTAC Placer’s fundraiser performance of Contemporary Music From Around the World to benefit the Jean Dunning Memorial Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to deserving high school graduates.

Diana operates a private piano studio where students prepare to participate in the yearly MTAC Certificate of Merit evaluation process. She also teaches piano majors at William Jessup University in Rocklin, CA. Among her favorite activities aside from piano instruction, however, is accompanying the Placer Pops Chorale directed by Lorin Miller at both Sierra College’s Dietrich Theater and the new Three Stages performing Arts Center in Folsom.