2025 Elissa Méndez-Renk

Elissa is a lifelong pianist and dedicated musician. A New Mexican native, she began piano lessons at the age of six, studying under Suzanne Dawson, Tatiana Vetrinskaya, Falko Steinbach, and Astrid Groth. After spending a summer at Hummingbird Music Camp, Elissa began taking violin lessons with David Felberg. She also studied private voice lessons with Jeanne Grealish. She was a member of both the Albuquerque Academy Chamber Players and Albuquerque Youth Symphony (AYS) throughout middle school and high school.

Elissa held her orchestra debut with the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003, at the age of 12, playing Haydn’s Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major. At 14, she traveled to Carnegie Hall to play Debussy’s Poission Rouge as part of the Golden Key Music Festival. Elissa went on to attend Barnard College, where she received her BA in Music, and Teachers College of Columbia University, where she received her MA in Music and Music Education. While in New York City, Elissa studied piano with Daniel Epstein at Manhattan School of Music (MSM), John Gavalchin, and Angela Laba. During her summers spent in D.C., Elissa worked at Levine School of Music and The Smithsonian Summer Arts day camp.