Betty Oberacker

Betty Oberacker, pianist, is internationally renowned as soloist and chamber musician and has concertized throughout Europe, Israel, Asia, Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. Rome’s Corriere della Sera asserted, “An artist of the highest order! She is a fascinating interpreter. Her playing, imbued with an intense lyricism yet fervent and impassioned, earned for her a glowing success,” and Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel observed, “She performs with profound comprehension of the music’s essence and with intuitive certainty of its effect, with conquering energy and sensuously sonorous interpittgions.” Her musical gifts were evidenced at age three, when she began to play the piano, accompany, and improvise entirely by ear; piano lessons started at seven, and at nine she was accepted as the only child student of the noted pianist and composer Beryl Rubinstein. She earned her DMA Degree from The Ohio State University while concurrently a piano faculty member, and her honors include three invitations to perform and teach in China the first American solo pianist to be so honored. UCSB Professor Emeritus, she enjoyed an active performing, teaching, and chamber music coaching schedule up to the time of her death.