Recognized as a dynamic performer, teacher, and collaborative pianist, Allison Hillier has been a driving force in Northeast Ohio’s piano community since 2015.

 

Originally from Canada, she moved to Cleveland to continue her musical studies and has since built a career that blends performing and teaching. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, studying with concert pianist Angela Cheng and leading pedagogue Dr. Andrea McAlister. Her teaching studies provided rigorous training in elementary and intermediate pedagogy, and she was awarded the David Statler Walker Award in Music Education for outstanding dedication to the field. She then completed her Master of Music in Piano Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, receiving a concentration in Piano Pedagogy under Sean Schulze.

 

During her graduate studies, she interned with the internationally acclaimed Frances Clark Center for Piano Pedagogy, contributing to the curation and editing of pedagogical resources for Piano Magazine. She was also invited to the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) as a Yamaha-sponsored attendee, reflecting national recognition of her work in the field.

 

As a performer, Allison studied with renowned pianists Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Angela Cheng and Colleen Athparia. She made her U.S. orchestral debut at eleven and earned the Associate Diploma in Performance from the Royal Conservatory at fifteen. Her solo performances span Canada, the United States, and Europe, and she was named Alberta’s Young Artist in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers competition. She also received honorable mention in the Graves Piano Competition in Columbus, Ohio. She performs regularly at venues throughout Northeast Ohio, including the Butler Museum of American Art, Waetjen Auditorium, Westlake Performing Arts Center, and Studio Espressivo, and is frequently invited to collaborate with leading local organizations such as Piano Cleveland and the Cleveland Composers Guild.

 

Allison’s commitment to teaching began more than a decade ago in Calgary, Alberta, when she began instructing the children she babysat — an experience that sparked a lifelong devotion to guiding students through artistic growth and transformation.

 

As founder and director of Studio Espressivo, she teaches students ranging from young beginners to advanced adults. She has appeared as a visiting artist at Youngstown State University, given lecture-presentations for the piano departments at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Bowling Green State University, and remains active in regional schools, working with choirs and music programs. Since 2025, she has served as piano faculty at the University of Mount Union. She is frequently invited to adjudicate local competitions and festivals, and her students consistently earn top prizes in regional competitions and high marks in examinations. Many have gone on to collegiate music programs, including Baldwin Wallace University, The Ohio State University, Kent State University, and Youngstown State University.

 

A sought-after collaborative pianist, she was a member of the Two Third Ninth Trio, which earned top honors at the national Canadian Music Competition. She is also a founding member of the Ficocelli Trio, an Ohio-based chamber ensemble dedicated to community-centered programming and dynamic performances throughout the region. She has collaborated with artists in programs such as the Pinchas Zuckerman Young Artist Program and the Bowdoin Music Festival, and served as collaborative pianist for Opera Western Reserve, joining the company on tour. In Northeast Ohio, she frequently accompanies for competitions hosted by NATS, OMEA, the Euclid Symphony Orchestra, and the Suburban Symphony Orchestra.

 

Since the 2023–2024 season, she has served as principal keyboardist of the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous orchestral appointments include keyboardist with the Calgary Civic Symphony.

 

In 2019, she founded Studio Espressivo in Cleveland’s Little Italy, creating the neighborhood’s only dedicated venue for concerts, piano instruction, recording sessions, and rehearsals. As Artistic Director of the Sunday Studio Series, she launched a successful inaugural season of Italian-inspired concerts in 2023. The series, now in its third season, is supported by generous private donors and corporate sponsors. Deeply committed to community engagement and partnerships in the neighborhood, she collaborates regularly with local musicians, local schools, and Little Italy ArtWalks.