Hannah Pierre

Hannah Pierre began her piano studies at the age of four with Chrissy Talbot in Reading, Pennsylvania. She had the privilege of participating in the Reading Musical Foundation, where she was a three-year recipient of music scholarships, enabling her to continue her music studies under Janet Conover and Jim Neher. During her freshman year of high school, Hannah enrolled at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education where she began her classical education and performed in the Berks Piano Quartet directed by Jim Neher. In addition to her piano studies, Hannah took string lessons and played with the Reading Symphony Junior Strings and the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestras at the Santander Performing Arts Center.

After relocating to Maryland, Hannah resumed studies with Dr. Michael Baldwin, with whom she studied Bach and technique before attending Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. There, under the instruction of Dr. Peter Davis and Dr. Deanna C. Moore, Hannah explored solo, concerto, and piano accompaniment repertoire. In addition to performing as a cellist in the BJU String Orchestra and taking composition lessons, she performed in a chamber masterclass with violinist David Kim and a piano masterclass with Dr. Stephen Taylor. Hannah obtained a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance and a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from Bob Jones University in 2023. 

Hannah currently pursues her Master’s in Collaborative Piano and K-12 Music Ed Licensure at George Mason University. She was privileged to participate in an impromptu songwriting workshop by Dr. Scott Wheeler and perform in a piano masterclass with Jeremy Denk in the Fall of 2024; in the Spring of 2026, Hannah accompanied soprano Young-hae Jeon in a vocal masterclass with baritone Gerard Kim. While studying at GMU, Hannah teaches piano at Fairfax Baptist Temple Academy (FBTA), in addition to accompanying FBTA choral groups. She also maintains a private studio in Fairfax and Ashland, VA. Hannah is a student of Dr. Eunae Ko Han and will graduate in the Spring of 2027.

Hannah enjoys collaborating with instrumentalists and vocalists and has accompanied and performed in competitions, special events, weddings, recitals, and churches along the East Coast. Her heartbeat is redemptive storytelling through highly articulate music making, shining light and truth into the hearts of her listeners.

Once upon a time in Reading, PA, Johnny & Sokthol Pierre received a free upright piano. As they gazed at the beautiful wooden instrument in their living room and wondered who would play it, their four year old daughter climbed onto the bench… and the rest is history.

My name is Hannah Pierre and it has been a privilege to study and play the piano for twenty years. I vaguely remember those early lessons, straddling the piano bench while identifying notes in my primer theory book. Six years later, I was writing an essay to enter into the Reading Musical Foundation piano competition: I despised writing and to end the painful process quickly, I penned what I thought the board would like to hear: “when I grow up, I want to compose my own hymns like Fanny Crosby and have a private studio like my teacher, Mrs. Conover…” Little did I know that this would become a reality. Today, I have arranged over ten sacred arrangements for solo piano, small ensembles (piano/violin/trumpet). I have also taught 20-30 students in the past year, in addition to coaching piano duets and accompanying choirs, vocalists, and instrumentalists. 

Looking back, I am humbled by all the Lord has allowed me to accomplish. I would never have dreamed I'd collaborate with an esteemed composer from Boston or participate in a masterclass with a phenomenal pianist from New York. I definitely had no intention of pursuing a master's in music, my senior year of college ended in burnout and disillusion. I felt lost, the chapters of my life confused me, I had no idea where to go next. But God wasn't finished with me: He continued opening doors, and as I have learned to step through those doors in faith, I have experienced tremendous blessings upon blessings. Throughout this journey, I have developed a passion that goes beyond discovering pure tone and exquisite technique. My heartbeat is redemptive storytelling through highly articulate music-making, shining light and truth into the hearts of my listeners. I want my audiences to know and experience the God who empowers broken people to create beautiful things. There is hope, there is healing, there is a Redeemer, and His name is Jesus Christ. May the world know His saving grace through my story and my song.

                                                                                                                                                                                                   -Hannah Pierre