Brenda Wristen

Dr. Brenda Wristen is Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she directs the piano pedagogy and keyboard skills programs. Additionally, she is founder and director of the Community Piano Experience, an outreach program offering beginning and intermediate class piano instruction for adult recreational pianists.

Dr. Wristen’s research focuses on musician wellness issues, with particular interests in university music student health states and behaviors, the biomechanics of piano technique, and addressing the challenges of small-handed pianists. Her research articles have been published in American Music Teacher, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, UPDATE:  Applications of Research in Music Education, Music Education Research, Clavier, Keyboard Companion, and Piano Pedagogy Forum. She has also presented papers at numerous meetings of state, national, and international organizations, including Music Teachers National Association, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the College Music Society, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the International Society for Music Education.  Her work has been recognized with several awards, most notably the Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science Award from the Human Ergonomics Society and the American Institute of Physics.  Dr. Wristen is a member and former chair of the Committee on Wellness for the Pianist of the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, a member of the Education Committee of the Performing Arts Medicine Society, and currently serves on the editorial board for American Music Teacher.  In addition to her teaching and research activities, Dr. Wristen is an active lecturer, adjudicator, and performer. Recent performances include a solo recital featuring works by Mozart, Granados, and Prokofiev and various collaborative appearances.

Dr. Wristen holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with a major in Piano Pedagogy from Texas Tech University, where she was the recipient of the DeWitt/Jones Doctoral Fellowship and the Chancellor's Fellowship. She received the Master of Music degree from Texas Tech University and the Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Lubbock Christian University. Dr. Wristen is a member of Sigma Xi Research Society and the Alpha Chi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies. Her professional affiliations include Music Teachers National Association, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, the International Society for Music Education, Nebraska Music Teachers Association, and Lincoln Music Teachers Association.