Artina McCain
Associate Professor of Piano
Education
- D.M.A., Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Texas at Austin, 2011
- M.M., Master of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, 2006
- B.M., Bachelor of Music, Southern Methodist University, 2003
Biography
Described as a pianist with "power and finesse", "beautiful and fiery" (KMFA Austin)
and having a "sense of color, balance and texture" (Austin Chamber Music Center) Artina
McCain, has a built a three-fold career as a performer, educator and speaker. As a
recitalist, her credits include performances at Barbican and Wigmore Hall in London,
Seattle Opera, Carnegie and Merkin Hall in New York City and more. Other highlights
include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra
and Oregon East Symphony.
Dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers, McCain
curates Underrepresented Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations. She is
an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works and won a Gold
Global Music Award for her recent album project Heritage. In 2021, Hal Leonard published
her Twenty-Four Traditional African American Folk Songs transcriptions. In 2022, she
was the mistress of ceremony for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
McCain was a featured inspirational leader in the award-winning PBS documentary series
Roadtrip Nation: Degree of Impact in an episode exploring the real-world impact of
professionals with doctoral degrees in and outside of academia.
McCain's performances have played on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Germany's
WDR and television appearances, including features on CSPAN for the MLK 50 Commemoration.
McCain is a three-time Global Music Awards winner, including collaborative projects
I, Too (Naxos), with soprano Icy Monroe, focused on African American Spirituals and
Art Songs and Shades, a collaboration with her husband and duo partner Martin McCain.
After not performing for six years while battling a performance injury, she now enjoys
a prolific concert career with more than 10 years of full injury recovery. She uses
her recovery to advocate for musicians' wellness–curating articles, lectures, and
forums to educate teachers and students. Her performance injury and Muscle Activation
Techniques article was published in the Piano Magazine. In addition, McCain has presented
on wellness and other topics at universities, the Music Teachers National Association
Conference, and the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy.
McCain graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University. She received her Master
of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and holds a doctoral degree from the
University of Texas at Austin. She is an Associate Professor of Piano and Coordinator
of the Keyboard Area at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis
and Co-Founder/Director of the Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition.
Artina enjoys boutique shopping and traveling internationally in her spare time and
is an avid tea aficionado.
Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.