Basia Thomas
Piano Faculty
From musicals to the blues to the traditional, Pianist Basia Thomas’ eclectic interests run far and wide. As a collaborative pianist, she has worked with many vocal studios and participated in diverse projects such as the Japanese Art Song Project and Schumann’s Liederkreis and as a partner in piano duos, 8-hand piano ensembles, and vocal collaborations. and opera workshops including works from Candide and Cosi Fan Tutti.
Top-prize winner at her Alma mater Delta State’s Chamber Ensemble Competition, she also received honorable mention at MMTA at the University of Southern Mississippi and was awarded “Outstanding Performance,” when she accompanied the Delta State’s spring musical, “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” where she was also was a 2017 Honors Recital Recipient. Other honors and awards include an invitation into the Delta State Chorale and Honor Band and First place in the International Blues Conference in Cleveland, MS, following her research on Race Records in America.
Ms. Thomas’s travels have taken her to South Korea, where she participated in masterclasses at Sungkyul University in Anyang. Pursuing her interest in the music of the world, she has explored smaller ensemble works of African drumming, Steel Band, and an auditioned vocal octet.
A Memphis, TN native, her passion for and dedication to music began at Overton High Performing Arts School, where she studied classical piano. Performing throughout the city of Memphis at Tennessee Music Teachers Association festivals, Amro and Lane Music Festivals, and in jazz and commercial bands set her on a course to her to Bachelor of Music Performance Degree at Delta State University under Dr. Jung-won Shin. Thomas attended Montclair State University where she earned a Master of Music Performance Degree under Dr. Soyeon Kim.