Founder’s Celebration honors Temple’s best

Charles Abramovic, Music

Boyer College of Music and Dance Certificate of Honor

Abramovic

In the world of chamber music, Charles Abramovic is well-known as a globetrotting, award-winning pianist. To colleagues, he is a treasure. To students, he is incomparable.

Despite the acclaim, Abramovic, a professor of keyboard studies, is modest and unassuming, embarrassed by the attention his talent garners. To him, he is just doing what he loves: teaching, performing and collaborating with composers and fellow musicians.

“I really love the teaching,” he said. “Every year, I love it more and more. I’m learning so much.”

Sonya Garfinkle, of the alumni board of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, helped select Abramovic for the Certificate of Honor, the college’s annual recognition of a distinguished alumnus or alumna who has been an asset to the University.

“He’s very global in his outreach; he does a lot of concertizing, not only in Philadelphia, but in many cities throughout the country,” she said. “We just think he’s terrific.”

Abramovic said the award is particularly meaningful to him because it is from his alma mater as well as his employer. Abramovic came to Temple in 1986, first as a doctoral student in piano performance, and then as an assistant professor in 1990. The opportunity to continue working with his mentor and current keyboard studies department chair Harvey Weeden influenced his decision to stay at Temple.

“I’m proud to be at Temple, and I’m proud to be an alumnus,” he said.

Mac Carlson, a graduate student studying piano performance, praised Abramovic for his teaching style and his personal approach with students.

“He is an excellent teacher,” Carlson said. “He has an unmatched ability to find solutions to the physical problems of piano playing.”
Senior piano pedagogy major Cholehna Weaver said Abramovic’s dedication to students is tireless.
“He will do anything in order to broaden my understanding and stretch my comprehension of the subject at hand,” she said. “As a person who wants to teach and strengthen connections between my students and music, I have had what I believe is the best example of this in Dr. Abramovic.”

But Abramovic’s interest in his students does not end when they stand up from the piano bench. He enjoys getting to know his students, and engages his classes in activities such as a mock talk show where students impersonate composers and are interviewed in class.

“He has a very curious mind and is interested in many fields outside music,” Carlson said. “He also has a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.”

Weaver said she appreciates the originality Abramovic brings to the classroom.

“While not explicitly stating or presenting his students with life lessons, Dr. Abramovic’s teaching methods and personality have shown us a way of looking not only at music but at life,” she said.