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The American pianist (and also bass-baritone, organist, conductor, harpsichordist, percussionist), Stephen Paul Uhl, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa (2013), where he studied piano with Du Huang and collaborative piano with Jessica Paul; his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University (2015), studying under Kuang-Hao Huang; and his Artist Diploma in Piano Performance in the Spring of 2017 from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts, where he studied with Adam Neiman. His honors include the Luther College Lucille Stansberry Rosholt Award for Distinction in Collaborative Piano, as well as the Collaborative Arts Assistantship at Roosevelt University. He has appeared in master-classes with Emanuel Ax, Christopher Taylor, Martin Katz, Ian Jones, Christina Dahl, James Giles, Craig Terry, Gabriel Dobner, and Christopher Harding.
Stephen Uhl has performed the London Version of the Johannes Brahms Requiem with conductor Andrew Lewis’ Bella Voce David Schrader at Fourth Presbyterian (Chicago) and St. Luke’s Episcopal (Evanston), receiving critical acclaim from John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune. In the Spring of 2017, he formed the Ostrega Uhl Project with violinist Brian Ostrega. The duo performs a wide range of repertoire, provides a platform for other young musicians, and raises awareness of social justice. In February 2020, the duo released their first album, “50/50.”
Composers with whom Stephen Uhl has worked include the late Stephen Paulus, Jonathan Hannau, Heidi Joosten, Daniel Kallman, and Kurt Heinecke. In the Spring of 2015, he premiered Jonathan Hannau’s Piano Concerto, Disintegration in Five Parts with the URSA Ensemble under the direction of Erica Neidlinger. Stephen frequently enjoys collaborating with singers, instrumentalists, and composers as well as performing a wide variety of improvised music. As pianist, organist, and chorister, he has been heard on WFMT on multiple occasions. His improvisational journeys have taken him to places as diverse as the Curitiba Opera House, Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to multiple Chicago jazz venues. He has had the privilege of collaborating with improvisers including Mark Colby, Pharez Whitted, and Ben Dillinger.
An avid scholar of liturgical music, Stephen Uhl was Organist at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Schaumburg, Illinois (August 2013-August 2018); and currently he is the Organist at The Union Church of Hinsdale, Illinois (since August 2018). As a complement to his interest in music for the church, he was selected to participate in the WFMT Bach Organ Works Project, where he performed several of the composer’s works at Alice Millar Chapel. In September of 2018, he played, and was on the discussion panel at the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Midwest Regional Conference.
In February of 2018, Stephen Uhl joined the Music Department at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Illinois as the Collaborative Keyboard Artist. He enjoys working with the five curricular choirs, two chamber choirs, and vocal jazz ensemble. Additionally, he coaches vocalists and instrumentalists, and is always happy to assist with any music theory homework. Stephen coordinates the instrumentalists who join the choirs for their performances. In 2018, he began playing for the Allegrezza Singers, a Chicago-based chamber choir that donates a significant portion of its proceeds to a different charity each season.
When not practicing, rehearsing, or performing, Stephen Uhl enjoys cooking, lifting weights, strong coffee, reading, and reflecting. He strives to embody God’s redeeming purpose for this world. Currently he lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. |
