Audry Ricks

Contact Information

Biography

Audry Ricks is recognized as a pianist that, “demonstrates the utmost dedication to her craft as a musician. She possesses a rare combination of personal resilience, intelligence, and scrupulous attention to detail that spell success in any task she takes on.” (Dr. Cahill Smith)

Audry is an active performer, collaborator, and teacher. She has performed in the Russell Wanlass Performance Hall, the Caine Room, the Impact Commons, outdoor concerts, as well as in the Music Box Concert Series and in private house concerts. Her most recent masterclass performances include artists Alexander Malofeev, Yakov Kasman, and Michael Brown.

Audry enjoys helping her students improve as a teacher in the Youth Conservatory. Audry is highly motivated in encouraging students to ambitiously chase after their goals and dreams, as well as nurturing a love of music within them. Audry also aids pianists in engaging with music through technology in piano labs, assists in community events such as Monster Concert and Piano Fest Competitions, and supports faculty and students in the USU Summer Piano Festival. Known by her colleagues for her friendly and uplifting spirit, Audry makes every effort to provide a welcoming and safe environment for her students to grow.

Audry served the enterprise of teaching as the President of the Utah State University Collegiate Chapter of MTNA in the academic year 2022-2023. Their chapter was awarded the 2023 Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Chapter of the Year among 201 competing higher education institutions.

Audry actively engages in research and presents her work at various conferences and symposiums. Her most recent disseminations include “Less Notes, More Music! : Effective Performance Through Practical Alteration and Rearrangement” at the Utah Music Teacher Association Conference and “Interpretive Discoveries in Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major” at the Utah State University Student Research Symposium. She is currently working on research titled “International Perspectives on Managing Performance Anxiety” which was conducted at the Walled City Music International Piano Festival in Derry, Northern Ireland.

In addition to her research endeavors, she has worked with her team to win the Summer Arts Research Grant ($4,000), Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities ($3,000), Student Travel Differential Tuition Grant ($11,320 cumulative), and the Academic Opportunity Fund ($1,600 cumulative) throughout the 22-23 school year.

Audry studies as a Piano Performance and Pedagogy major at Utah State University under the tutelage of Dr. Cahill Smith. During her studies, she has been awarded the USU Presidential Scholarship, the Val R. Christensen Service Award at the CCA level, Ned & Gail Weinshenker Scholarship, Albert R. & Frances L. Lewis and Virginia Lewis Ratliff Scholarship, Shirley Miller Hanson Scholarship, and the USU Music Central Scholarship. Audry was also selected as the 2022 USU Youth Conservatory Group Class Teaching Assistant of the Year.