Blake Hilligoss has a Bachelor and Master’s degree MM in Piano Performance from Oklahoma State University. During his time there, he taught various undergraduate piano classes and the Greenwood School of Music Preparatory Academy. He also accompanied various ensembles including the OSU University Singers Choir, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and the Greenwood School of Music Youth Choir. He has participated in multiple master classes with numerous pianists, including Anne-Marie McDermott who is the artistic director of numerous music festivals, as well as a former judge of the Van Cliburn competition, and Eric Huebner, who is the current pianist for the New York Philharmonic. In March of 2023, he was a participant in the New York Philharmonic Educational Partnership, which included chamber coachings from New York Philharmonic violist Song Wu, along with performances with his piano trio at the Aaron Copland School of Music and a recruitment concert at LaGuardia High School. Since2018, he has participated in various OMTA-MTNA competitions, receiving first place in the OMTA competition in 2019 and Alternate positions in 2018 and 2021. In 2022, he received 2ndplace in the Hyechka competition in Tulsa. During that year, he also participated in the Starlight Band as part of their Summer Concert Series. In 2023, participated with the OSU orchestra in their show, “Into the Woods”, and as a soloist with the OSU orchestra as a concerto finalist, performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. On the weekends, he is employed as the accompanist at St. Andrew’s Church. He is also currently working on a research project that will be presented at this year’s OMTA conference pertaining to the visual and cognitive processes that relate to sight reading ability. On his last Graduate Recital, he made his compositional debut,performing a solo piano work entitled, “Serenity Now, Insanity Later: A 12-tone Prelude and Fugue”.