Barbara Lister-Sink

Barbara Lister-Sink (born January 18, 1947) is an American classical pianist, music educator, and global leader in injury-preventive keyboard technique.

Education As a child and teenager, Lister-Sink studied piano at the Preparatory School of Salem College with Margaret Meuller and Clemens Sandresky. Lister-Sink graduated with a BA in Music in 1969 from Smith College, where she studied with the American composer and pianist John Duke. After suffering from tendinitis, she worked with Edith Grosz in Amsterdam and successfully overcame her injury. In the early 1970s, Lister-Sink also became interested in incorporating the Alexander Technique into a model of well-coordinated piano technique. From 1975-1976, she was a visiting lecturer at Duke University. From 1976-1979, she was a keyboardist with the North Carolina Symphony. From 1979-1986, Lister-Sink taught at the Eastman School of Music on the Artist Faculty as an Associate Professor of Piano. Since 1986, she has held numerous positions at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, including Dean of the School of Music (1986-1992), Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Piano (1992-2009), Director of the School of Music (2009–present), and Salem Distinguished Professor (2013–present). She developed and currently directs the first Professional Certificate Program in Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique (for pianists and organists) in the United States. She has also taught at Brevard Music Center, Chautauqua, and the Amsterdam Muziek Lyceum. She has collaborated with the Harvard Chamber Players, the Ying String Quartet, and contemporary composers such as György Ligeti, Leon Kirchner, Joseph Schwantner, Frank Martin, Samuel Adler, Vincent Persichetti, and Witold Lutoslawsk.

Freeing the Caged Bird Lister-Sink is internationally known for her critically acclaimed DVD on piano technique, Freeing the Caged Bird: Developing Well-Coordinated, Injury-Preventive Piano Technique. It won the 2002 Music Teachers National Association "Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy National Award." Russian pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy praised it by writing, "I am sure that Freeing the Caged Bird will be of immense help to pianists – will make their lives easier and their piano playing more satisfying. A monumental work!" Alexander Technique instructor Glenna Batson also "shows how the body is designed to work best with the piano" by applying principles of the Alexander Technique.

Recordings Sound Shaped by Fire: In Concert from the Eastman School of Music (1980-1984), 2-CD Set A Loving Home's A Happy Home: 19th Century Moravian Parlor Music Après un Rêve, with oboist William Banovetz

Honors and awards Prix d’Excellence from Utrecht Conservatory Distinguished Professor of Piano and Artist-in-Residence at Salem College Music Teachers National Association - 2002 Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy National Award