Pianist and administrator Jon Michael Iverson serves as Director of Instrumental and Vocal Instruction at MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this role, he oversees nearly 150 faculty members teaching over 3,000 students in a wide variety of ages, abilities, and genres. His department provides music instruction in lessons, classes, ensembles, and includes several programs including the Prelude: Singer-Actor Lab, MacPhail Community Youth Choir, Varsity Ensembles, New Horizons Program, chamber music, and summer camps. As a performer, Iverson has performed as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician around the Twin Cities area and has been heard with local Minnesota orchestras. He has performed in MacPhail’s Spotlight Series and faculty recitals.
As a teacher, Iverson teaches students of all ages, abilities, and musical styles. In addition to standard classical repertoire, his teaching includes popular and contemporary styles such as jazz, blues, stride piano, pop tunes, and coaching pianist-singers. Regardless of musical style, his students have been routinely selected for MacPhail’s distinguished Honors Recitals, performance scholarships and the prestigious Concerto & Aria Concert. He has been an active adjudicator for competitions, contests and festivals and has given dozens of presentations and workshops throughout Minnesota.
Iverson completed his degree of Doctor of Education in Leadership (music education concentration) at the University of St. Thomas (Minneapolis, Minnesota);his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University (Princeton, New Jersey);his Bachelor of Arts (piano performance major) work was done at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota). He lives in South Minneapolis with his wife E. Pınar Başgöze – also a piano faculty member and performer at MacPhail – and their two sons. His hobbies include travel, gourmet grilled foods, and smoked meats.
