CEOMTA Fall Conference

September 25, 2026
9am-12pm
Solich Piano, Dublin

Topic: Opposites Attract: Foundational Principles of Creative Music Making

Andy Villemez – CEOMTA Fall Conference 2026

Dr. Andy Villemez is a family man, devoted generalist, severely amateur woodworker, and professional music educator who has built a career around learning, making things, and helping others do the same.

As Division Head of Keyboard Studies and Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, he leads programs and initiatives that prepare musicians for creative, purposeful, and sustainable careers. His teaching, research, leadership, and creative work are driven by a simple question: What do musicians and music teachers need most right now? The answers have led him to develop curricula, publish books and articles, compose new works, create community programs, and mentor students and colleagues at every stage of their development.

Villemez is the author of Keyboard for Commercial Music Production (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) and Musicianship at the Keyboard. He has presented nationally on creativity, piano pedagogy, professional development, and adaptive teaching strategies, and his writing has appeared in American Music Teacher, The Piano Magazine, and the MTNA e-Journal. He is also the founder of Creative Commissions, an outreach initiative that brings composers, teachers, and young musicians together in the creation of new music, and currently serves as President of the Ohio Music Teachers Association.

Now firmly in mid-career, his interests increasingly center on the future of arts education and the systems that help creativity flourish. Through leadership, innovation, mentorship, and lifelong learning, he seeks to expand the impact of music education while helping others build meaningful lives in and beyond the arts.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Villemez earned degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.M.) and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (M.M., D.M.A. in Piano).

Updated 8/31/2026