Brian Fitzsousa, pianist – Brian Fitzsousa is a pianist, composer, and music director based in New York City. Brian is currently a member of the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera where serves as a staff pianist with the dance department. Previous positions include contracts with the San Francisco Opera, American Ballet Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, and numerous other dance, opera, and musical theater companies.

As a collaborative pianist, Brian coaches and performs with opera, musical, cabaret, and pop singers. He can be found music directing and performing regularly at venues such as 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, Rockwood Music Hall, and The Tank, with performers including Eleri Ward, Annie Golden, Lavon Fisher Wilson, Natalie Walker, and Liam Forde.

Brian holds degrees in composition from NYU and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has received commissions from numerous ensembles including the San Francisco Movement Arts Festival, The Joshua Trio, and The Amaranth String Quartet. He is also the recipient of fellowships from the European American Musical Alliance and the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism.

In addition to performing and composing, Brian is an avid musicologist. He served as an instructor of music history at SFCM, teaching graduate level survey courses and his own seminar on the history of contemporary opera.