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Carnegie Hall, New York City
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 3
December 2023

Biography

Maren Daynes, NCTM, is a concert pianist, collaborative artist, educator, and award-winning performer whose work spans solo, chamber, concerto, and vocal collaborative performance. A Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano, Maren has maintained a private piano studio since 2015 and is passionate about developing the next generation of musicians through mentorship, pedagogy, and research. 

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Maren earned her Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she served as a Graduate Assistant in Collaborative Piano. In this role, she worked extensively with the opera and choral programs while teaching undergraduate piano majors. She previously graduated summa cum laude from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, as well as certificates in Piano Pedagogy and Collaborative Piano.​

 

Her performance career includes appearances at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the International Musicians Academy in Bulgaria, the Gijón International Piano Festival in Spain, and the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina. As a concerto soloist, she has performed the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Utah Valley Symphony and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with Sinfonietta Vidin in Bulgaria. As a chamber musician and collaborative pianist, she has performed Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 3, first movement, at Carnegie Hall and participated in an international virtual performance of selected movements from Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances in collaboration with the Communication University of Zhejiang, China.

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An accomplished competitor, Maren has earned top honors in numerous national and international competitions, including First Prize awards in the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, the Utah Valley Symphony Concerto Competition, the Young Collaborative Pianists Competition, the World's Best Musicians Classical Music Competition, and the Great Composers Concerto Series. Additional distinctions include awards from the American Soloist International Music Competition and the Charleston International Music Competitions.

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As a collaborative pianist, Maren regularly performs with vocalists, choirs, and instrumentalists. Recent engagements include productions with the UNLV Opera Workshop, collaborations with Desert Singers Las Vegas and VOX Femina Los Angeles, and performances for major choral festivals throughout the western United States.

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Beyond the stage, Maren is an active researcher and presenter whose work focuses on piano pedagogy, rhythm instruction, studio design, and the relationship between research and competitive performance. She has presented at conferences hosted by the Utah Music Teachers Association and the Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research and has received multiple grants supporting both scholarly and performance projects.

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A dedicated leader within the music community, Maren has served in executive roles for collegiate and local Music Teachers Association chapters, including President of both the UNLV and UVU Music Teachers Association and Vice President of Membership for the Las Vegas Music Teachers Association.

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Her teachers and mentors include Dr. Timothy Hoft, Dr. Hilary Demske, Dr. Gerta Wiemer, Dr. Koji Attwood, Nicolette Bird, and Mariah Sam. She has also performed in masterclasses for internationally acclaimed artists including Awadagin Pratt, Santiago Rodriguez, Mi-Eun Kim, Lisa Moore, and Jeanne Hourez.

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Through her performances, teaching, scholarship, and service, Maren Daynes continues to build a multifaceted career as a performer and educator dedicated to excellence in the classical music profession.

Curriculum Vitae

Degrees and Certifications

  • Master of Music in Piano Performance, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2026)

  • Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, summa cum laude, Utah Valley University (2024)

  • Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano (NCTM), Music Teachers National Association (2024)

  • Certificate in Piano Pedagogy, Utah Valley University (2024)

  • Certificate in Collaborative Piano and Chamber Music, Utah Valley University (2023)

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Notable Performances

  • Concerto Soloist with Sinfonietta Vidin, Bulgaria — Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4 (2025)

  • Chamber Music Performance at Carnegie Hall, New York City — Brahms, Piano Trio No. 3, first movement (2023)

  • Concerto Soloist with the Utah Valley Symphony — Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement (2022)

  • Performance with Time for Three and the Utah Valley University Symphony Orchestra (2022)

  • Performance of Márquez, Danzón No. 2, with the Utah Valley University Symphony Orchestra (2022)

  • Utah Valley University School of the Arts Honors Recital for NASM (2022)

  • Utah Valley University Awards of Excellence Night (2022)

  • Unveiling of the Utah Valley University Concert Hall (2021)

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Collaborative Piano and Opera Experience

  • Rehearsal Pianist, UNLV Opera Workshop production of Organic Chemistry (2026)

  • Collaborative Pianist, UNLV Opera Workshop production of Crime and Punishment (2025)

  • Collaborative Pianist, UNLV Opera Workshop production of Fêtes and Follies! (2025)

  • Collaborative Pianist, UNLV Opera Workshop production of Queen of Hearts (2024)

  • Collaborative Pianist, VOX Femina Los Angeles: Suffrage Cantata (2024)

  • Collaborative Pianist, Rooted & Rising, Desert Singers Las Vegas (2026)

  • Collaborative Pianist, Desert Rose Choral Festival, Las Vegas (2025)

  • Collaborative Pianist, UNLV Choir Concerts (2024)

  • Virtual Collaborative Piano Recital with the Communication University of Zhejiang, China (2021)

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Festivals and Academies

  • Participant, International Musicians Academy, Bulgaria (2025)

  • Participant, Eastern Music Festival, North Carolina, USA (2023)

  • Participant, Gijón International Piano Festival, Spain (2023)

  • Participant, BYU Young Musicians SummerFestival, Utah, USA (2019)

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Festival Performances and Chamber Music

  • Eastern Music Festival Young Artist Recital — Messiaen, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus, Movement XV: “Le baiser de l’Enfant-Jésus” (2023)

  • Eastern Music Festival Chamber Performance — Debussy, Piano Trio in G Major, third movement (2023)

  • Eastern Music Festival Chamber Performance — Bruch, Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, selections (2023)

  • Eastern Music Festival Chamber Performance — Dvořák, selected movement from Slavonic Dances for two pianos (2023)

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Major Competitions and Awards​

  • First Place, American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition (2022)

  • First Place, Utah Valley Symphony Concerto Competition (2021)

  • ​First Place, Young Collaborative Pianists Competition (2023)

  • Second Place, American Soloist International Music Competition (2025)

  • Second Place, Young Collaborative Pianists Competition (2021)

  • Finalist, American String Teachers Association–Utah Chamber Competition (2023)

  • Honorable Mention, UMTA Concerto Competition (2022)

  • Alternate, UVU Concerto Competition (2022)

  • Certificate of Excellence, UVU School of the Arts (2023)

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International and Online Competitions

  • First Place, World's Best Musicians Classical Music Competition (2025)

  • First Place, Charleston International 17th Century Music Competition (2022)

  • First Place, Great Composers Concerto Series (2022)

  • Second Place, Charleston International Contemporary Music Competition (2024)

  • Second Place, Charleston International Winter Music Competition (2022)

  • Third Place, Piano Competition Online, 11th Edition (2025)

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Scholarships and Academic Honors

  • Graduate Assistantship in Collaborative Piano, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024–2026)

  • Graduate Recruitment Scholarship, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024)

  • Young Artist Merit Award, Eastern Music Festival (2023)

  • Erlyn and Duane Madsen Scholarship Endowment, Utah Valley University (2023–2024)

  • Marie Gappmayer Endowed Scholarship, Utah Valley University (2023–2024)

  • Exceptional Performance Scholarship, Utah Valley University (2020–2023)

  • Work-Study Award, Eastern Music Festival (2023)​​

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Selected Recitals

  • Master’s Recital, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2026)

  • First-Year Master’s Recital, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2025)

  • Senior Recital, Utah Valley University (2024)

  • Junior Recital, Utah Valley University (2023)

  • Sophomore Recital, Utah Valley University (2022)

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Adjudication

  • Adjudicator, NFMC Junior Festival, Las Vegas (2026)

  • Adjudicator, Las Vegas Music Teachers Association Ensemble Festival (2024)

  • Adjudicator, Salt Lake City Piano Competition (2024)

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Masterclasses

  • Jeanne Hourez (2025)

  • Mi-Eun Kim (2025)

  • Awadagin Pratt (2023)

  • Santiago Rodriguez (2023)

  • Lisa Moore (2023)

  • Jason Hardink (2022)

  • Liza Stepanova (2021)

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Research Presentations​

  • "Design Factors That Affect Your Teaching Studio," Utah Music Teachers Association (2024)

  • "Journey to Carnegie Hall: Competitive Performance through Research," Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research (2024)

  • "Nurturing the Now: New Music for a New Generation," Utah Music Teachers Association Annual Conference (2023)

  • "Teaching Rhythm Through Ta-Ka-Di-Mi," Utah Music Teachers Association Annual Conference (2022)

  • "Double Escapement," Utah Music Teachers Association Conference (2021)

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Research Grants

  • ​​U2 Sponsorship Grant, UNLV (2025)

  • Graduate and Professional Student Association Sponsorship Program Grant for Concerto Performance in Bulgaria, UNLV (2025)

  • Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Grant for Carnegie Hall Performance, UVU (2023)

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Leadership Roles

  • Nevada MTA Competition Committee Member (2024-2026)

  • Vice President of Membership, Las Vegas, Nevada Music Teachers Association (2025–2026)

  • President, UNLV Music Teachers Association (2025–2026)

  • Vice President, UNLV Music Teachers Association (2024–2025)

  • President, UVU Music Teachers Association (2023–2024)

  • Vice President, UVU Music Teachers Association (2022–2023)

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©2026 Maren Daynes

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