Armenian pianist Houry Yapoujian Schmeizl has devoted 20 years to music performance and education. As the founding director of the Nutmeg Conservatory Music School in Torrington, Conn., Ms. Schmeizl established a stellar reputation as an inspiring and passionate instructor and helped attract national attention for the prestigious institution. Her students have earned admission to the Julliard School-Preparatory Division and have earned a slate of honors. These honors include: Outstanding Achievement Awards in the National Music Program, First Place in the Audrey Thayer Piano Competition in Hartford, Conn., and most recently a winner's performance at the DiCapo Opera House in NYC through the American Fine Arts Festival 2008 as well as Honorable Mention awards in the Massachusetts Bay State competition.

A former professor of music at The University of Connecticut and Briarwood College, Ms. Schmeizl earned a Master of Music in Pedagogy and Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Conn. At the Hartt School she studied under the tutelage of the noted Peter Pertis, Dr. Watson Morrison, and Luis deMoura Castro.

A working professional musician as well as educator, Ms. Schmeizl's diverse experiences include live performances and rehearsals for the American Repertory Ballet, the Hartford Ballet, the Nutmeg Ballet, and the Princeton Opera. Performance highlights include the Brooklyn Academy of Music with Ronnie Spector, Hartford Children's Theater, numerous professional appearances at the Parish Center for the Arts, Westford, Mass., and most recently a performance at the 30-year commemoration gala at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, Chelmsford, Mass.

Ms. Schmeizl owns and operates the Piano Academy at Hart Pond, a private studio for advanced piano study, serves as a member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the New England Piano Teacher's Association, and is the founding chairperson for the Piano Performers Forum based in Greater Lowell, Mass. She also serves as the new Principal of the Armenian School at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church. Ms. Schmeizl resides in Chelmsford, Mass., with her husband Mark and daughter Jacqueline Lucine.

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