14th Annual Welcome Home Concert

Penelope Keep is an 18 year old first-year student at Stanford University. Growing up around music, she experienced early opportunities to explore her “favorite toy.” She has studied piano for twelve years with multiple teachers, including Stanford’s Dr. Elizabeth Schumann and Dr. Judith Widrig of Bellingham. She has also performed at concerts and masterclasses across numerous venues.

In the summers of 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Penelope was a featured artist at the San Francisco Flower Piano Festival. Last summer she attended the Oberlin Conservatory Summer Piano Festival, ranking in the competition’s semifinals. Among other awards, Penelope has received first place in the Bellingham Music Club Competition, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Bellingham Chapter Competition and WA State Music Teachers Association (WSMTA) Regional Solo and Ensemble Competition. Every year that she participated in the WSMTA competitions, she proudly earned rankings of Superior.

Penelope also plays jazz saxophone, enjoying the expressions of emotions and ideas that all different types of music afford her. While living in Bellingham, she played alto sax in the Sehome High School Jazz Band and in the 2024 WA All-State Jazz Band. Penelope also busked at the farmers market and regularly gigged at the Blue Room with Julian MacDonough’s Art Blakey tribute band, Message Received.

As a university student, she plays alto in the Stanford Jazz Orchestra and tenor in the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble. She is also involved with solo piano and chamber music, and currently studies with the head of the Stanford piano department, Dr. Elizabeth Schumann.

Penelope looks forward to keeping music as a core joy in her life, always. Although currently undeclared, she plans to either minor or double major in music while pursuing an undergraduate degree focused in Human and Environmental Systems.