Pianist Thomas Filipiuk brings an eclectic taste to everything he pursues. In addition to frequently performing in the United States and Europe, he is an experienced computer programmer and a published researcher in the field of computer systems. As a musician, he holds the same diverse interests, equally at home in solo and collaborative playing as well as in both classical and contemporary styles. His repertoire spans from classics by Chopin and Schubert to works further off the beaten path by Szymanowski, Liebermann, and Rzewski. He has also collaborated frequently with clarinetists, cellists, and vocalists, and has performed nearly every major clarinet trio in the repertoire.

 

As a student at Northwestern in 2023, Thomas was the only undergraduate selected as a finalist in Northwestern’s Thaviu-Isaak Piano Competition. In 2024, he was named a Presser Scholar for his achievements in both performance and academics, a reward given to just two graduating seniors at Northwestern every year. He was also a prize winner at the 2024 Óbidos International Piano Festival in Portugal, where he will return in 2025 to give three recitals that will be broadcast on Portuguese public radio.

 

Thomas is originally from Palatine, Illinois and began studying piano with Janice Razaq at age 8. He also began playing the viola at age 10, through which he developed a deep appreciation for chamber and orchestral music. At Northwestern, he studied with José Ramón Méndez and James Giles. He earned two bachelor’s degrees simultaneously in piano and computer science, graduating summa cum laude and with program honors in piano. Currently, he is pursuing his master’s degree at the Peabody Institute, studying with the highly-acclaimed pedagogue Boris Slutsky.