Bethany Ehlers Stefanut, piano instructor,
from northwest Iowa, began sounding out melodies on the piano at age three. Her first lessons were with her mother until she began formal lessons at age seven. Her teachers included Deborah Ausborn and Dr. Jeanette Hinckledey. She participated in the IMTA competitions during her high school years, where she won districts three years in a row, and won state level in 1996. Bethany began teaching piano when she was thirteen, at the behest of some family friends, and her piano studio soon expanded. She earned a B.A. from Dordt College (Sioux Center, IA), where she studied Music History, with a minor in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. She studied piano with Dr. Susan Keith Gray (University of South Dakota) and harpsichord with Dr. Joan Ringerwole (Dordt College). She appeared as soloist with the Northwestern College Chamber Orchestra in 2001 (Orange City, IA), and wrote program notes for the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra for their 2002-2003 season. Bethany has taught at HPSI since 2003.
