Classical music has not made equitable space for women composers throughout history. Osborne’s progressive and meaningful concert will challenge our definition and context of fugues, putting works by Irene Britton-Smith, Grazyna Bacewicz, Lera Auerbach, and Clara Wieck-Schumann alongside those of their male counterparts, such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Dmitri Shostakovich.
“a pianist with a refreshing mellowness and poetic touch” — The Washington Post
Jessica Xylina Osborne, a native of San Antonio, Texas, has been playing the piano since she was four years old. She comes from a musical family: her mother, an accomplished pianist herself, was Jessica’s first teacher. Her mother’s father was a self-taught bluegrass guitarist, and his father played the piano as background music for silent movies.
Jessica has enjoyed an illustrious and diverse career in music. She pursues ambitious projects that reflect creativity in programming with the goal of bringing awareness to social justice issues. She enjoys presenting programs that pair well- known audience favorites with music being written today, in addition to performing works written by composers who have historically been overlooked within the classical music canon, including women, transgendered individuals, and composers of color.
Jessica has regularly performed with some of the classical music world’s biggest stars, including Hilary Hahn, Ani Kavafian, and Timothy Eddy, among many others. In addition to performing at some of the world’s top concert halls- including Carnegie Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, and the Kennedy Center- she has gotten to perform at many of the world’s most unique and interesting venues: some of her favorites include the Walton Gardens in Ischia, Italy; the Louvre Museum in Paris; and the Folly Theater in Kansas City.
Jessica received her bachelor of music degree in piano performance from the Juilliard School and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; her master of music degree from Rice University; and her Doctorate of Musical Arts from Yale University. Her teachers and mentors include her mother Patricia Osborne, Dr. Marjorie Lee, Seymour Lipkin, Emile Naoumoff, Jon Kimura Parker, and Claude Frank.
Jessica is an experienced and enthusiastic pedagogue. She has been teaching piano for over 20 years, privately as well as within an academic setting. She regularly offers guest masterclasses and recitals at colleges and universities nationwide. She was Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at the Sam Houston State University School of Music during the 2019- 2020 school year. She is currently on the piano faculty at the Lindeblad School of Music and Third Street Music School Settlement, as well as building her studio both in person and online in New York City. She is accepting students of all ages and levels.
In her spare time, Jessica loves reading, yoga, playing with her two very energetic cats, and studying foreign languages.
Website Link: Jessica Xylina Osborne
Thanks to our partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council and their “Card to Culture” program, Longy School of Music of Bard College can offer free tickets to many of our diverse and innovative performance offerings. See the full list of participating “Card to Culture” organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.