Biography

Maren Daynes, NCTM, is a concert pianist, educator, and collaborative artist based in Sparks, Nevada. Her career encompasses solo, chamber, and concerto performance, as well as piano teaching and research in music education.

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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, working extensively with the university's opera and choral programs, as well as teaching undergraduate piano majors. She previously earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Utah Valley University, graduating summa cum laude, along with certificates in Piano Pedagogy and Collaborative Piano. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano and has maintained a private piano studio since 2015.

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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. She has performed as a concerto soloist with the Utah Valley Symphony and Sinfonietta Vidin in Bulgaria, as well as in chamber and collaborative settings with vocalists, instrumentalists, choirs, opera programs, and orchestras. Her collaborative work has included performances with VOX Femina Los Angeles, Desert Singers Las Vegas, UNLV Opera Workshop, UNLV Choirs, UVU Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles throughout the western United States.

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An award-winning pianist, Maren has received top honors in numerous national and international competitions, including First Place awards from the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, Utah Valley Symphony Concerto Competition, Young Collaborative Pianists Competition, World's Best Musicians Classical Music Competition, Charleston International 17th Century Music Competition, and the Great Composers Concerto Series.

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Beyond performing and teaching, Maren is an active researcher and presenter whose interests include 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 grants supporting both scholarly and performance projects. She also regularly volunteers as a pianist at Renown Health in Reno, sharing live music with patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals.

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Maren's principal teachers and mentors include Dr. Timothy Hoft, Dr. Hilary Demske, Dr. Gerta Wiemer, Dr. Koji Attwood, Nicolette Bird, and Mariah Sam. She has performed in masterclasses for internationally acclaimed artists including Awadagin Pratt, Santiago Rodriguez, Mi-Eun Kim, Lisa Moore, Jeanne Hourez, the Fry Street Quartet, Jason Hardink, and Liza Stepanova.

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Through performance, teaching, and community engagement, Maren is dedicated to cultivating meaningful musical experiences and contributing to the continued growth of the classical music profession.

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