Aaron Pike

Pre-College
  • Musicianship
Aaron Pike Headshot

Contact

Departments

Pre-College

Education

MM Composition, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

BM, Brigham Young University-Idaho

Courses Taught

Pre-College Musicianship

Q&A

What is your hometown?

Caldwell, Idaho 

What is your favorite recording? Why?

Tchaikovsky: Symphony 6 by the Russian National Orchestra. Mikhail Pletnev conducting. Thaikovsky’s 6th symphony has such a large emotional palette, from euphoria to extreme despair. The interpretation  by Pletnev and the RNO captures all of these emotions in vivid detail, devastating beauty and relentless passion. 

What are you passionate about outside of music?

Photography, tennis, camping and backpacking, international travel and adventure. 

Who were your major teachers?

David Conte, Kevin Puts, David Tcimpidis 

What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast

What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?

To ask themselves how music helps them in their lives and how they can pass that on to others. 

What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?

Watching a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto when I was 6. 

If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?

Making money 

If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?

Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bernstein