Collaborative Artist

Accompanist/Keyboard Collaborator

Since she was in junior high, Dr. Melissa Sky-Eagle has had extensive experience as an accompanist and keyboard collaborator. She has accompanied vocal and instrumental soloists, church choirs, professional choral ensembles, opera workshops, congregational singing, etc. In March, 2007, she was the collaborative pianist for the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition in Palm Desert, CA.

As an undergraduate at Texas Christian University, Dr. Sky-Eagle studied accompanying and vocal coaching with Raymond Bazemore, former Metropolitan Opera baritone. The Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity honored her with its Marian Bowker Davidson Accompanying Award. During graduate school, she was a conservatory-certified accompanist for The Peabody Conservatory of Music of The Johns Hopkins University.

During her Doctor of Musical Arts program, Melissa studied Keyboard Collaborative Arts with Dr. Alan Smith at the Thornton School of Music of the University of Southern California. While at USC, she specialized in flute literature, and accompanied the flute studio of James Walker, Senior Lecturer of Winds and Percussion. In 2006, she became a school-certified accompanist for The Colburn School in Los Angeles, CA. She also accompanies at Long Beach City College, Long Beach, CA.

She has most recently collaborated with Natalie Beglau, mezzo-soprano, and Dr. Angelo Romero, trumpet. The trio performs 1940s swing era standards, such as "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy,"  "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," "In the Mood," and "Can't Take That Away from Me." 

To hear the trio perform , click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2go6jM-glAM

Below are representative examples of Dr. Sky-Eagle’s recent work as an accompanist/keyboard collaborator:

Mozart, Concerto in Bb Major for bassoon, K. 191

Beethoven, An Die Ferne Geliebte, for voice and piano, Op. 98

Schubert, Variations on “Ihr Blümlein alle”  for flute and piano, Op. 160

Brahms, Sonata in F minor for Clarinet (Viola) and Piano, Op. 120, No. 1

Mussorgsky, Songs and Dances of Death, for voice and piano

Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue

Ravel, Piano Concerto in G major

Martinu, Sonata for Flute and Piano, H. 306

Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 1 in Db Major, Op. 10

Prokofiev, Sonata in D minor for Flute or Violin and Piano, Op. 94

Vaughn-Williams, Concerto in F minor for Bass Tuba and Orchestra

Hindemith, Sonata for Horn in F and Piano (1939)

Jacques Casterede, "Sonatine for Trombone and Piano"

Contact Dr. Sky-Eagle for additional information or to accompany specific pieces.