Mary Hurd

Mary Hurd has a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University, a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the American Conservatory of Music, and a Diploma in Church Music, specializing in Piano Performance, from Moody Bible Institute. Since beginning to teach piano in 1972, Ms. Hurd continues to teach privately, welcoming students across the entire age spectrum. She has taught courses at Aquinas College, Grand Valley State Colleges, Grace Bible College and Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music. She has been with Aquinas College, teaching courses in applied piano, piano pedagogy, piano literature, music theory, ear training and sight singing, and music appreciation, since 1994.

Ms. Hurd has been active both as a soloist as well as an accompanist, giving solo performances for music conferences and faculty recitals, and collaborating with many vocalists and instrumentalists for concerts in Western Michigan and the Chicago area. As an accompanist, Ms. Hurd has travelled with choirs in both the United States and Europe, often adding solo piano performances as a part of the choral concerts.

As a soloist, Ms. Hurd has given solo concerts in Grand Rapids, featured as a part of the Celebration of Music Concert Series at Trinity Lutheran Church in 2014; at Aquinas College's Music of Women Composer's series each year from 1998-2015; as a collaborator on the Hurricane Relief Concert hosted by Park Church in Grand Rapids in September of 2005; at Aquinas College, featured in a joint recital with Barbara Witham McCargar in February of 2000; as a faculty recitalist for yearly Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music concerts from 1985-1990; in Chicago, as a guest recitalist for Moody Bible Institute's Church Music Conference in 1980; and also in Chicago featured as the concerto winner in Moody Bible Institute's commencement concert in 1978.

In addition to performing on live concerts, Ms. Hurd has recorded a CD of Women's Works, along with Soprano, Barbara Witham McCargar, and Pianist, Catherine Williams, O.P., including accompanying the vocal works, and contributing solo repertoire written by Rhene Jaque. Ms. Hurd also recorded with the Grace Bible Church choir in 1999, providing piano accompaniment for the choir as well as solo piano repertoire.

As an accompanist, Ms. Hurd has accompanied faculty recitals at Aquinas College; local vocalists‚' programs, including Don Sikkema and Joan Gillett; student recitals at Grand Valley State Colleges, and student recitals at Moody Bible Institute.