Biography

Kirsten Mitak has taught piano to students of various ages and abilities in private and group settings for over twenty-five years. She spent several years as choral director and general music instructor for the public schools in Mendon-Upton, MA, and holds certifications in Orff-Schulwerk and Kodály methods. She became a faculty member of the Department of Music at the University of Rhode Island in 2013.

As a performer, Dr. Mitak is a frequent collaborator with vocalists, instrumentalists, and choirs, and enjoys playing, singing, and improvising in solo settings. She is Music Director at Saints John & Paul Church, where she conducts an adult choir and youth choir. In 2019, she and percussionist Ethan Thurber recorded an EP titled “A Cradle in Bethlehem.” She has also completed studio work for Tarro Music Productions.

Dr. Mitak enjoys working with students of all ages, and her research on older adult learning was published in the Florida Music Director. She has presented at the RIMEA and MMEA state conferences, and serves as a clinician for local piano festivals. Dr. Mitak has been a dissertation supervisor for the School Of Music at Boston University, and is an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).