Ken Thompson

Advanced Piano Coach

In June of 2000, Kenneth Thompson received the Texas Music Teachers Association’s ‘Pre-Collegiate Teacher of the Year Award’ for the state of Texas. In November 2009, Mr. Thompson received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from Musical Bridges Around the World for his work in raising the level of piano teaching in San Antonio.

He received a BM in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music in 1991 where his primary teachers were Nelita True and Anton Nel.

Upon his arrival in San Antonio in the early 1990’s, Mr. Thompson performed extensively as a chamber musician and soloist. He developed a ‘Music of the Americas’ program that he performed in Atlanta’s prestigious Spivey Hall and at concert series in Texas and Florida. He also performed frequently as orchestral pianist with the San Antonio Symphony.

In the mid 1990’s, Mr. Thompson turned his attention to the development of pre-college advanced pianists. Mr. Thompson’s piano students have performed more than 100 complete solo recital programs and performed more than 30 times as soloists with orchestras including many performances with the San Antonio Symphony. He has had several students perform in New York at Carnegie Hall and has had two students perform on National Public Radio’s hit show ‘From the Top’.

Mr. Thompson has had several students go into music programs at some of the world’s top music schools including the New England Conservatory, the Oberlin Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, and the Julliard School of Music. His students have won top prizes in every pre-college piano competition in Texas. He and his students have been interviewed and performed several times on Texas Public Radio and on San Antonio TV shows such as ‘Great Day SA’. Notable students include Dr. Christopher Guzman, Thomas and Peter Steigerwald, Ellen Pavliska, Wayne Ching and Mary Box.

Mr. Thompson has given workshops to music teacher’s associations throughout Texas and he wrote and co-authored two articles for American Music Teacher Magazine.

In 1999, Mr. Thompson founded the Musical Arts Center of San Antonio, Inc. (MACSA). MACSA has over 43 teachers and staff and over 1100 students at its locations in Stone Oak and near IH 10 and DeZavala. Mr. Thompson’s teachers include: Nelita True, Anton Nel, Anna Haun, John Weems, Carolyn True, Christopher Wallace, and Jean Barr. He is on the Parish Council of Christ Lutheran Church in Alamo Heights, on the Board of the San Antonio International Piano Competition and is a Level 2 Krav Maga student. He is a member of peer to peer CEO advisory organization Vistage International and a member of MENSA.