Thomas More Employee Directory

Pianist Jill Jantzen has been recognized for her “virtuoso performance..., professionalism and training.” As a touring artist, she has performed across the United States and in Europe. Recent highlights include performing on the Oklahoma Brightmusic Society Summer Festival; Salon 21: Petite Piano Concerts; Guest Artist Concert Series at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music; and live on Cincinnati Public Radio 90.9 WGUC. Additionally, she’s collaborated on projects with the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Young Professional Choral Collective.

As both an artist and educator, Jantzen strives to make classical music a community experience for all to enjoy. She has served as Adjunct Piano Professor at Thomas More University since 2017 and heads the Piano Area, creating keyboard curriculum for the current Music Minor track.

Jantzen is an active performer and arts leader in the Cincinnati area, most recently serving as Artistic Director of Salon 21: Petite Piano Concerts. Her artistic philosophy is to prioritize ingenuity, creativity, and the ability to connect with listeners beyond just the music. A recent accomplishment was heading a large commissioning project, Parallels. Funded in part by the Catalyzing Impact Grant from ArtsWave, this project brought forth five new works for piano quintet, written by female composers from both the United States and Poland. Jantzen gave the first performance of its double-world-premiere in Cincinnati, OH. The same program was later performed in Warsaw, Poland.

Originally from Oklahoma, Jantzen holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Oklahoma City University, Bass School of Music where she studied with both Dr. Amy I-Lin Cheng and Dr. Sergio Monteiro. Jantzen completed her Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Mr. Awadagin Pratt. During her time at CCM, Jantzen held a full-tuition Graduate Assistantship in Secondary Piano with Dr. Michelle Conda, and upon completion in 2013 was awarded CCM’s Outstanding Graduate Assistant.