01/13/2026
Happy New Year! As we enter a new year, it's a fitting time to look back on 2025 in gratitude for our amazing members. One such member was named our 2025 Teacher of the Year and honored (to his surprise!) at the IMTA State Conference in October. Get to know Dr. Ray Kilburn and his accomplishments below:
Pianist Ray Kilburn, recognized as being among Canada's most gifted artists, now holds dual citizenship and resides in the United States. His studies, competitions, and recitals have taken him throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. Critics have been unanimous in their praise of his outstanding technical abilities and artistic temperament. In one critic's words, if Kilburn is not the reincarnation of the great romantic pianists, he comes close. Arthur Kaptainis of the Montreal Gazette wrote, Kilburn came across as a pianist of serious musical aims and thorough technical command. Technical hurdles were cleared with aplomb and his warm, firm tone never faltered. John Lambert of Spectator Magazine wrote, Kilburn.... is a powerhouse player infused with musicianship and taste. Pianism of this caliber is rare, indeed. Mr. Kilburn's debut performance in Raleigh was named one of the top ten classical performances of the 1994-95 season by Spectator Magazine. His first solo compact disc was released in September of 1997, and his second solo disc Kilburn Plays Rachmaninoff was released in December of 2000. In early 2001, he completed a collaborative compact disc with his father, cellist Michael Kilburn.
Ray Kilburn has been heard frequently on Radio Canada in live concert broadcasts, as well as on WCPE and the ETV networks in the United States, and the NHK television network in Japan. Competition and career successes have brought him numerous opportunities to perform both in solo recital and with orchestra. He has been a featured guest artist on numerous concert series and at many colleges and universities. Beyond his work as a soloist, Ray Kilburn has been active performing chamber music. Highlights have included concerts with his father, cellist Michael Kilburn, as well as recent concerts in Japan with his wife, soprano Yoko Shimazaki-Kilburn. A wide variety of other collaborations include choreographed performances of Prokofieff's Third Piano Concerto with Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens. Mr. Kilburn's many accomplishments have been recognized through prestigious arts grants from both the US and Canada. His many competition victories include first place in various national competitions and his performances in the final rounds of numerous international competitions.
Dr. Kilburn completed a Licentiate diploma and Bachelor's degree at McGill University, and the Master's and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees in Piano Performance at Indiana University. His primary teachers include the eminent Canadian pianist Tom Plaunt, and the late world-renowned pianist Gyorgy Sebok. Dr. Kilburn served for two years on the faculty of music at the University of South Carolina, Coastal, and then for seven years on the faculty of music at Peace College. He is a much sought after recitalist, master teacher, and adjudicator, and now serves on the faculty of music performance at Ball State University.
