Thomas Schumacher, Retired Piano Professor, Dies at 88
July 19, 2024
Schumacher was a dedicated performer and educator deeply committed to his students.
By TJ Wagman '20
Thomas A. Schumacher, renowned pianist and longtime University of Maryland professor in the School of Music (SOM), passed away May 31. He was 88 years old.
Schumacher joined SOM faculty in 1969, where he served for 26 years. The chair of the piano division from 1993–95, Schumacher served as a mentor to a generation of performers and helped elevate the piano program to draw talent from across the globe.
He “was unbending in his standards for himself and his expectations for his students,” said Associate Professor of Piano Bradford Gowen. “When the Schumacher students performed, they sounded terrific.”
Born in Butte, Montana, Schumacher showed a talent for music as a young boy. He studied in New York at the Manhattan School of Music and later at the Juilliard School, under renowned teachers including Beveridge Webster and Adele Marcus.
He appeared internationally in recitals and with major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic and Tokyo Philharmonic. In 1967, composer David Diamond asked Schumacher to be the soloist in the world premiere of his piano concerto with the New York Philharmonic.
He joined the faculty at UMD in 1969. Monica Lee, an alumna of the piano division now on faculty at Fullerton College in California, said she remains indebted to Schumacher’s “transformative mentorship” and for fostering her “profound love of music.”
“He was a tough teacher, but a gentle friend whose support lasted all these years after I left UMD,” she said. There was “no doubt in everyone’s mind that he was indeed a remarkable teacher.”
After departing UMD in 1995, he joined the faculty at Eastman, where he served as a professor until his retirement in 2008.
Mr. Schumacher’s memorial and ash ceremony will take place on August 8, 2024 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte, Montana. More information about Mr. Schumacher's life and legacy can be found here.