Ashlee Mack

Ashlee Mack serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Music at Knox College, where she has taught piano performance and contemporary music since 2005. Her expertise spans solo piano, chamber ensemble work (specializing in two-piano and four-hand configurations), and the promotion of new music by living composers.

Her educational foundation includes a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Bucknell University (2003), supplemented by graduate coursework at Western Illinois University (2006) and the University of Iowa (2007).

Professor Mack's artistic vision centers on expanding piano repertoire through commissions and premieres. Her performance practice emphasizes technical precision married to deep musical interpretation, with particular focus on American contemporary works. This commitment manifests in critically acclaimed recordings and international performances that bridge academic rigor with artistic innovation.

Her recording projects reveal a consistent dedication to 21st-century repertoire, with nine albums released between 2010-2025. These works span solo piano, chamber music, and collaborative projects, demonstrating evolving engagement with contemporary composition techniques and interdisciplinary approaches.

Her achievements include:

• 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Music Finalist for James Romig's 'Still'
• Artist residencies at Petrified Forest National Park (2019), Everglades National Park (2017), and Grand Canyon National Park (2013)
• Performances at The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and international venues in Germany and the Czech Republic

Professor Mack mentors undergraduate students through private instruction and ensemble coaching, with student testimonials highlighting her transformative impact on both musical and personal development. Her national park residencies provide unique creative opportunities that directly inform her pedagogical approach and repertoire selection.

Her performance career spans prestigious academic institutions, museums, and historic sites including Frank Lloyd Wright's Cedar Rock Estate, demonstrating exceptional versatility in connecting music to diverse spatial and environmental contexts.