Chair, Piano Area; teach applied piano, piano-related courses and Honors MUS 103
Research Interests
Researching the career of legendary American pianist Earl Wild for an upcoming book.
Biography
Ian Hominick began studying piano in his native Nova Scotia and continued his studies in the United States under the tutelage of internationally acclaimed pianists, Jerome Rose and Earl Wild. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1991 where he served as assistant to legendary American pianist, Earl Wild, and Tchaikovsky Competition silver-medalist André Laplante. Mr. Hominick has gone on to establish a solid reputation as a first-rate pianist and one of today’s more approachable artists, helping to bridge the gap between performer and audience. An accomplished soloist, accompanist, adjudicator and teacher, Ian Hominick has maintained a busy schedule of concerts and piano master classes across the U.S. and Canada including featured solo recitals in Chicago, Cincinnati, San Diego, New Orleans, Nashville, Ottawa, Montréal, Vancouver, Milwaukee, New York City and in Europe. He has appeared as soloist on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series; Chicago-Chautauqua Series; American Landmark Festivals and Community Concerts of Canada. His performances have been broadcast both regionally and nationally on CBC Radio, Radio-Canada and National Public Radio in the United States. Mr. Hominick has also been a frequent guest for Chicago’s “Live from WFMT.” Music critics have raved about Mr. Hominick’s performances printing such comments as “wholly compelling” (Chicago Tribune); “enviable technique” (BBC Music Magazine); “flash, splash & panache...” (Halifax Chronicle-Herald). Listener Magazine described Hominick’s playing as “a case study of a musician in full control of all the complex elements of … seemingly impossible demands.” His premiere solo recording of the works of the legendary romantic pianist, Sigismund Thalberg, was released by Titanic Records in 1995 to glowing reviews from the critics and a nomination for “Best Classical Recording” in the East Coast Music Awards. The Chicago Tribune offered, “Few composers could produce the kind of textual density as Thalberg. And so, too, could few pianists bring these pieces off with such flair and fluency as Ian Hominick.” His second release Off the Beaten Path was released on MSR Classics in 2009 and included lesser-known works by major composers for piano. The Toronto Star stated, “Hominick plays them … carefully and lovingly, shaping the music and dispatching it with flawless technique and high style.” Hominick’s third release “Muzio Clementi Piano Sonatas” came out in 2012 on MSR-Classics. Grammophone commented, “Hominick’s steady deliberation creates a more austere contrapuntal clarity that holds attention from first to last.” Presenters and critics have consistently commented on his engaging personality and entertaining rapport with the audience. His performances help to bridge the gap between performer and audience. One presenter in Newfoundland stated that “Ian has a wonderful rapport with the audience and has a unique way of making patrons feel as though they are included in his program, rather than on the fringe merely listening.” After a performance in Whitehorse, Yukon, the Yukon News stated, “... Hominick dazzled the audience as his hands effortlessly traversed the span of the keyboard ... One moment the playing was plaintive and poignant, the next moment it was intensely passionate, enraged, even tormented. His performance was always engaging. As with all the best classical music performances, the audience was left with a sense of transcendence, overwhelmed by the beauty of the music and the masterful performance of it.” A devoted teacher, Mr. Hominick also enjoys imparting his knowledge of the piano to future generations. The Artistic Director of the Merit Music Conservatory in Chicago commented on a master class: “Mr. Hominick has a way of structuring the class with a perfect balance of discussion between the technical and the musical. Equally important, he includes many issues that the students can deal with immediantly.
Courses Taught
- PIAN 121- 642 Applied Piano Lessons
- MUS 103 Honors Introduction to Music
- MUS 592 Small Chamber Music Ensemble
- MUS 237-538 Piano Pedagogy
- MUS 414 Piano Literature
- MUS 308
Education
BM Music, Mount Allison University (1983)
MM Music, Bowling Green State University Main Camp (1986)
DM Music, Ohio State University Main Campus (1991)