About Carla McElhaney

An innovative presence in the classical music field, pianist Carla McElhaney is highly regarded as a passionate and dynamic performing artist, teacher, and coach. She is co-founder, pianist, and Executive/Artistic Director for REVEL, an Austin-based “classical band,” serves on the piano faculty at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, maintains a private teaching studio, and publishes an e-zine called Passion in Action that integrates her interest in the field of personal development, her life as a performing artist, and her advocacy for Creatives and their work.

McElhaney’s passion for music became evident early on; she gave her first public recital at the age of 3, and began intensive study with pedagogue and concert artist James Gary Wolf at age 6, making her debut with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra in Florida at age 9. She was a top prize-winner in numerous competitions throughout her youth, winning first prize in the Music Scholarship Association National Piano Competition, where she was honored with the award for Most Outstanding Performance given by esteemed concert artist Gina Bachauer. McElhaney also garnered top prizes at a second American Music Scholarship competition, the Mozart International Piano Festival, and multiple Music Teachers National Association competitions.

McElhaney continued her musical training at Eastman School of Music (B.M. 1989) as a student of Barry Snyder and David Burge, and The University of Texas at Austin, where she won first prize in the Sidney M. Wright Endowed Presidential Scholarship Competition for Excellence in Piano Accompanying as a student of Gregory Allen (M.M. 1992, D.M.A. 1998). McElhaney went on to serve on the piano faculty at The University of Texas at Austin, and then the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio before returning to Austin to co-create REVEL.

McElhaney’s versatility and command as a performer have made her a favored collaborative artist on several commercial and academic recordings, including Finesse with saxophonist Todd Oxford, Juggernaut with saxophonist Jeremy Justeson, a compilation disc of works by Canadian-American composers with soprano Nanette Canfield, and REVEL’s first release with cellist Joel Becktell. Her performances have been broadcast on WCLV Cleveland, WAVE Atlanta, WXXI Rochester and WKUT Austin/WKUX San Angelo, and KMFA in central Texas.

A strong proponent of new music, McElhaney has premiered solo, chamber and ensemble works by notable living composers such Donald Grantham, John Harbison, Paul Chihara, Loris Chobanian, P. Kellach Waddle and Stephen Barber. In addition to her regular appearances with REVEL, she maintains an active performing schedule and has been featured as a soloist and collaborative artist with contemporary ensembles including Cleveland’s RED {an orchestra}, NYC-based F.R.E.D. Chamber Players, Austin’s PKW Productions, and The American Repertory Ensemble.

McElhaney lives in Austin with her husband Bryan, and two children, Katie and Miles.