Harrison Sheckler

Harrison Sheckler is a distinguished musician, educator, and composer, hailing from Charles City, Iowa. He is currently advancing towards his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Arizona, studying under Dr. John Milbauer and Dr. Daniel Linder. Additionally, he is pursuing a DMA minor in Composition under the guidance of Dan Asia. Harrison holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Dr. Soyeon Kate Lee, and a Master of Music degree from the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Jeffrey Biegel. He is a celebrated pianist with numerous accolades, including winning the 2014 Terrace Hill Endowment for the Musical Arts Competition, receiving honors in the Music Teachers National Association Senior Piano Duet Competition, and earning several prestigious scholarships and awards.

His orchestration prowess was showcased in 2021 when the Dallas Symphony premiered his work on Jeffrey Biegel’s piano piece, “Reflections of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg” in a concert honoring the late supreme court justice. A subsequent and complete performance of the piano concerto occurred in Florida with Jeffrey Biegel and the SpaceCoast Symphony. During the pandemic, Harrison innovatively connected with audiences and artists. He launched the Virtual Choir Project Covid-19, turning the classic “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel into a global phenomenon. Garnering over 1.9 million YouTube views, this project featured 300 participants from 15 countries. A baseball-themed follow-up involved former major league pitcher Bronson Arroyo in a virtual rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” His most recent virtual choir project released in January 2024, features 2x GRAMMY® award winner Gloria Gaynor on a new gospel music video titled “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus.” The song, featured on Gaynor’s Grammy® award-winning album “Testimony,” celebrates themes of hope and spiritual resilience. The collaboration was highlighted by the Sheckler Virtual Choir, an innovative approach by Sheckler that brings together vocalists from around the world through technology, creating a unified musical performance despite physical distances.

In addition to his role as a piano professor at Benedictine College, he is the Director of Music at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe, Kansas. Harrison previously served as Visiting Professor of Piano at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Before moving to Olathe, he was the primary pianist/organist at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Charles City, Iowa, and St. Francis de Sales Parish in Tucson, Arizona. Outside of his professional life, Harrison has a deep appreciation for nature, the arts, and sports. He is an avid fisherman, enjoys the thrill of downhill skiing, has acted in feature films and on television, and never misses an opportunity to attend major league baseball games.

The Official Website of Concert Pianist and Actor Harrison Sheckler