Three extraordinary teachers, Claudette Sorel, James Lyke, and Frances Clark, aided in launching Professor Tony Caramia’s 45-plus-year career as a pedagogue, clinician, adjudicator, composer, author, and solo and collaborative performer.

Caramia’s article, “The Imaginative Piano Teacher:  Musings on Being More Creative in the Piano Studio,” appeared in the Sept.-Oct. 2018 issue of Piano Magazine, and over decades, he has contributed many other articles exploring aspects of jazz pedagogy to Keyboard Companion and Clavier Magazine.

He continues this devotion to teaching at the Eastman School of Music (1990-present), where he directs the Piano Pedagogy Studies, coordinates the Class Piano Program, and teaches applied piano and beginning jazz piano.  He loves working with teaching assistants from around the globe as well as championing his students (Mr. C. and His All-Stars!) in studio concerts, also with themes:  Fringe Fingers, Celebrating Women in Music, 2 Pianos—140 Fingers, A Child is Born and Duo Piano Compositions by Women.

Awards include the Frances Clark Center National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy Lifetime Achievement Award (2021), and the Inaugural Outstanding Service Recognition Award (2019), and the SUNY Fredonia Outstanding Achievement Award (2010).

A strong believer in theme recitals, Caramia has presented numerous multi-media programs, with tributes to composers George Gershwin, Billy Mayerl, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers, and Dana Suesse.  Other theme recitals include A Program of Preludes, Nimble Feet and Tricky Fingers, A Piano Valentine:  Love in All Keys, My “Senior” Recital, Homage to Chopin, A Jazzy Celebration of Spring, Summer Smiles, Sounds of Autumn, A Portrait of Marian McPartland, 1917:  Celebrating the 100^th Birthdays of Jazz Icons, A European Jazz Travelogue, Celebrating the Music of Women, The Dawn of Eastman:  Music from 1921,  An American Journey.  His most recent concert—A Prelude To… featured solo piano preludes by Women composers from the 20th and 21^st century.