Biography

“[Kingma] coaxed the listener into the music’s poetry from the very first notes…though his technique emerged through the program as one which is capable of anything, it was always used in the service of the music itself.”

New York Concert Review

Critically acclaimed pianist Joseph Kingma, praised by the New York Concert Review as “…a rare gift…showing the command of a master and a composer’s insight,” has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, professor, and private teacher.

First Prize winner of the American Liszt Society’s 2017 Liszt International Competition (formerly Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition), Dr. Kingma enjoys regular performance invitations. He has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Monroe Symphony, Rapides Symphony, Manassas Symphony, Gulfcoast Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota. As a recitalist, his solo engagements include the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, the Yamaha Artist Services Performance Series in New York City, the Music Institute of Chicago, and the Louisiana Piano Series International. His performances have been featured on Chicago’s classical music radio station, 98.7 WFMT. Additionally, he was the 2023 Guest Artist for the Mississippi Music Teachers Association State Conference.

As a chamber musician, Dr. Kingma has collaborated with members of the Palm Beach Symphony, Palm Beach Ballet Orchestra, Rapides Symphony, and Austin Symphony. He was a guest artist for the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival from 2019-2021 and is currently a guest artist with the SONUS International Music Festival.

Dr. Kingma frequently teaches masterclasses, and has recieved invitations from Florida International University, University of North Alabama, University of Toledo, Samford University, William Carey University, Steinway Gallery of Nashville, Mississippi State University, and College of the Ozarks. An experienced adjudicator, he has judged for the SONUS International Composition Competition, Oklahoma Music Teachers Association, Mississippi State Music Teachers Association Houston Music Teachers Association, and the Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association, among others.

In addition to performing, Dr. Kingma has a great passion for teaching. He held the position of Assistant Professor of Piano at Louisiana College from 2016-2018, and Keyboard Division Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Piano at Palm Beach Atlantic University from 2018-2023. In 2023, he left academia to start an independent private studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His quality as a teacher is shown in his students’ consistent improvement and successes at festivals and competitions. Dr. Kingma is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music.

Dr. Kingma earned his D.M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin with Anton Nel, and his M.M. and B.M. from Rice University with Robert Roux. His younger years were significantly influenced by his studies with Elena Arseniev, Philip Pletcher, and Aviram Reichert. He resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

March, 2024