Alumni Spotlight 2018: Julianne McCollough

Julianne McCollough

Teacher: Janet Ali

Julianne McCollough won a total of SEVEN first place prizes in the 2018 festival!

• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY MARJORIE BURGESS ($200)
• MOST VERSATILE PIANIST ($100)
• BEST DEMONSTRATION OF GENUINELY SPONTANEOUS IMPROV (SOLO PIANO) ($50)

Julianne McCollough pictured with Arthur Houle

JULIANNE’S BIO

Julianne started piano lessons at age 5 with Janet Ali in Denver, Colorado. Throughout primary, elementary, and middle school, Julianne greatly enjoyed playing, practicing, and taking lessons for the piano. Over the next 8 years (and counting), she repeatedly took part in the National Federation of Music Clubs, scoring her 30-point cup for piano solo in 2016. She has performed in the United States International Piano Duo Competition three times, and in the 2019 USIDPC, Julianne and her partner Bethany Kempe placed third in the 17-18 category internationally. One of Julianne’s highlights of 2018 was participating in her first Festival for Creative Pianists, where she earned three first-prize awards.
Her favorite aspects of playing piano are improvising and learning jazz, which serve both as a treat to play and as a creative outlet. 

Outside of lessons, Julianne loves to play the piano anywhere she can. She plays at some school events, and she is part of the middle school worship team at her church. Some of Julianne’s other interests include playing the harp, reading, writing stories, spending time with friends or family, and enjoying Colorado’s nature.

Julianne McCollough pictured with teacher Janet Ali and sister Claire McCollough