Dr. Jorge Modolell, "Not Just for Virtuosos: Why Every Piano Student Should Play Liszt."

For many teachers, Franz Liszt’s music seems reserved for only the most advanced pianists. While he did compose some of the repertoire’s greatest technical challenges, his vast output also includes many rewarding works suitable for intermediate students and even talented beginners. This presentation will challenge common misconceptions about Liszt and explore why his music deserves a place in the teaching studio. In addition to highlighting lesser-known pedagogical repertoire, the session will examine how Liszt’s deep understanding of the piano can help students develop technical skills, tonal control, and expressive playing.
The presentation will also explore the rich imaginative world of Liszt’s music. Inspired by poetry, literature, art, landscapes, and religious subjects, many of his works provide excellent opportunities to teach character, atmosphere, and musical storytelling. Through a survey of repertoire at various levels, teachers will gain practical ideas for incorporating Liszt into their teaching and helping students grow both technically and artistically. Whether familiar with Liszt or not, participants will discover music that is accessible, engaging, and valuable for students of many different abilities.
Dr. Jorge Modolell is a pianist and musicologist specializing in nineteenth-century music, with an emphasis on the life and works of Franz Liszt. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music and a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently, his research has focused on Liszt's relationship with St. Francis of Assisi and the composer's largely understudied Franciscan-inspired compositions.
Dr. Modolell's work has been published in the Journal of the American Liszt Society, and he has presented papers at regional and national conferences, including meetings of the American Musicological Society, the University of Miami Graduate Musicology Forum, and the biennial Brandeis University Musicology Conference. In 2024, he was invited to lecture at the University of Georgia as part of the American Liszt Society's 60th anniversary celebration. This year, he will again lecture for the American Liszt Society at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Dr. Modolell currently serves on the piano faculty of Webster University's Community Music School and as an adjunct lecturer in music history at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also Vice President of Membership for the Saint Louis Area Music Teachers Association.
As a pianist, Dr. Modolell has appeared as a soloist with the New World School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra in Miami and performs regularly with local organizations, including the Rubinstein Club, the Chaminade Music Club, and the Piano Society of St. Louis.