The BASK Collective is an artists' collective, founded with Belle Baggs, Stacy Isenbarger and Alexandra Teague at the University of Idaho. Dedicated to exploring issues of interdisciplinary artistic creation, the Play Like a Girl project creates small performance vignettes centering around themes of social projections on women, the way women artists project themselves, and the way women respond to social structures, roles, and boundaries. The resulting performances included a major new commission by American composer Eve Beglarian for piano and toy piano, also incorporating text, visual, and movement. For more, please visit the BASK Collective website.
In 2012, Dr. Elgersma was awarded a Kurt Olsson Early Career Research Fellowship to commission and record three new American solo piano works. With each composer using an existing, tradtional piano piece as inspiration, this project creates ties between older repertoire and new American music. In 2014 - 2015, she will perform and record these works by J.S. Bach and Daniel Felsenfeld; Ravel and Timo Andres; and Amy Beth Kirsten.
duality is the professional saxophone/piano duo of the University of Idaho. Founded with Vanessa Sielert, duality is dedicated to commissioning and performing music that brings together influences from both popular and classical music. With frequent performances in schools, universities, and community centers across the United States, duality was recently awarded an Idaho Commission on the Arts grant to commission a new work by Idaho composer Daniel Bukvich.
Dr. Elgersma regularly presents lecture-recitals and workshops across the country. Recent topics include Cowell, Crumb, & Company: Extended Technique in 20th century American Piano Repertoire; The Unexpected Piano: Influences & Inspiration, Past and Present; and Compositional Trends in New American Piano Music.
Please visit the audio page for performance examples.
Dr. Elgersma has written on topics related to new piano music and piano pedagogy, with publications in the International Journal of Music Education, Clavier Companion, MTNA e-Journal, and American
Music Teacher.
To download a writing example, please click here.
In 2010, Dr. Miranda Wilson and Dr. Elgersma co-founded the University of Idaho Music Preparatory Division. In just three years, the Prep Division grew to serve nearly 150 community music students, and provides high-quality teaching and observing experiences for University of Idaho music students. For more information, please visit the
Prep Division website.
