Siok Lian Tan

About Siok Lian

Siok Lian Tan is a Professor of Piano and the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Miami University. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Piano from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Tan has been featured in live broadcasts on Cincinnati Public Radio Station WGUC and has performed as a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Oxford Chamber Orchestra, and Miami University Symphony Orchestra. Her concert engagements have taken her to major cities worldwide, including New York, Chicago, Luxembourg, Cologne, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Adelaide, and London, including a solo recital at the St. Martin-in-the-Fields concert series. Her work is also featured on the Naxos recording James Lentini: Chamber Music.

As an active pedagogue, Dr. Tan has presented lectures at several prominent conferences, including the College Music Society (CMS) National and International Conferences, National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Conference. Her articles have appeared in American Music Teacher, Clavier Companion, and MTNA e-Journal.

Dr. Tan has received numerous accolades for her contributions to music education, including the 2011 Ohio Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, the 2020 Miami University Crossan Hays Curry Distinguished Educator Award, and the 2023 American Music Teacher Article of the Year Award.

I strive to inspire students to discover the joy of making music while cultivating strong technique, sensitive musicianship, keen listening, and problem-solving skills. My teaching encourages them to understand what they want to express and how to communicate it effectively, fostering curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of music.