The Kotas Project

Rebecca Penneys born October 2, 1946. She completed her higher level education at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and studied piano with Gyogry Sebok and Menahem Pressler. She had additional studies in Aube Tzerko, Leonard Stein, Rosina Lhevinne, Artur Rubinstein, Janos Starker, Josef Gingold, and Iannis Xenakis. Long before she attended college she had achieved quite an impressive solo career. Penneys performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra when she was 11. At 17, she was won the Special Critics’ Prize at the Seventh International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Other prizes she’s won include, Most Outstanding Musician Prize at the Fifth Vianna Da Motta International Piano Competition, Second Paloma O’Shea International Piano Competition. Twice her chamber group New Arts Trio won the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music. Penneys has been regarded as an outstanding teacher. The institutions she teaches at include the Eastman School of Music, St. Petersburg College, University of South Florida, Chautauqua, and the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival.