Kessa Mefford, piano

Kessa Mefford is an award-winning pianist specializing in the music of Maurice Ravel. Kessa gave her Carnegie Hall debut in December 2022 with a historic program; “Ravel: All of It,” the complete art songs of Ravel with soprano Kristina Cook. Kessa has started two concert series: “Whimsical Birdsong,” based out of New York in which she performs and collaborates with others in presenting the complete works of Ravel that include piano, and "Piano at Noon," based in her hometown of Peekskill as an effort to bring more classical music to the community. In 2023, Kessa gave her radio debut with Cook performing Ravel on New York’s WQXR in a special episode of Young Artist Showcase featuring pianist/singer duos. 

Kessa has performed “Ravel: All of It” in venues all around the United States with Cook, from universities to libraries to museums to community colleges. She has given masterclasses and lectures at universities on the interpretation of art song and pianist/singer collaboration, as well as lectures specifically on the history and interpretation of Ravel’s songs. Concerto credits include Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Mozart’s 23rd Piano Concerto, Ravel's Concerto in G Major, and the world premiere of Dan Montez's Concerto in C Minor. Kessa has released three albums, two focused on the works of Ravel, with three more in production. Kessa received an MM in piano performance from the Mannes School of Music in May 2020, and a BM in piano performance in August 2017 at Brigham Young University. 

Learn more about the artist here: kessamefford.com