Rebecca Willett, age 17, a Young Steinway Artist, has felt from a young age that God is calling her to be a musician. She began her music education with piano at age 4 and added violin at age 7.  Rebecca has been blessed to have been a student of gifted teachers:  Melody Diehl, Anne Bugg, Dr. Jeffrey Brown and Suzanne Guy. 

Rebecca currently studies piano with internationally acclaimed pianist, conductor and teacher, Ignat Solzhenitsyn and Dr. Lelia Sadlier.  Rebecca studies violin with Bay Youth Orchestra Conductor and Virginia Symphony member, Christina Morton.

As a violinist, she studies and performs solo and chamber repertoire.  She has been a member of the Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia for 8 years under the direction of Helen Martell.   She also performs on both violin and piano with the Hampton Roads Chamber Players under the direction of Jorge Aguirre.

As a pianist, Rebecca has won first prize in numerous concerto competitions. She made her solo orchestral debut playing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in g minor with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in April 2009.   She performed the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor twice in March 2010 with the Bay Youth Symphony Orchestra and the York River Symphony.  After performing in the 2008 Terrific Talented Teens Concert through Sundays at Four, Rebecca was asked back in 2009 to present a full recital.  Rebecca has performed as a soloist in the Virginia Symphony’s Young Artist Showcase many times, since the age of 10.  She was also chosen to perform in 10-Piano Concerts in Sacramento, California and Matsumoto, Japan.  She has spent many of her summer weeks furthering her music studies at violin and piano institutes and camps, including the prestigious Southeastern Piano Festival and the International Institute for Young Musicians.   

Rebecca has participated in master classes with Benedetto Lupo, Brian Ganz, Harold Protsman, and Dr. Douglas Weeks.   She has had private instruction from: Dr. Kathryn Brown, Sergei Babayan, Edmund Battersby, Alvin Chow, Leonard Richter, Reiko Uchida, Dr. Marina Lomazov, Dr. Joseph Rackers, Dr. Jack Winerock, Leah Brammer, Linda Nakagawa, and Dr. Haruko Kataoka.

Rebecca serves as the church pianist and director of the Middle School Choir at her home church, Tabernacle United Methodist Church. She is a homeschooled high school junior pursing an advanced diploma.  Rebecca has been a volunteer for Equikids Therapeutic Riding program for the past 3 years.  In her free time, she can usually be found somewhere with a book.  Rebecca is the daughter of Scott and Kimberly Willett and the sister of Caroline and Eliza Willett.  Upon graduation from high school, Rebecca plans to study piano performance and pursue a career in music. She has been accepted to Mannes the New School for Music, Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Institute of Music, Indiana University-Jacobs School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and Cleveland Institute of Music.