Tescarollo remains key player in promoting Marcus legacy

It’s extremely challenging to fulfill the dreams of a loved one who has passed, but how big is the struggle for someone you never met? There’s little doubt Wilda “Gene” Marcus would be thrilled with what Hamilton Tescarollo has built in her name at Purdue University Fort Wayne. 

As he was being hired as the director of keyboard studies in 2007, Tescarollo was told one of his responsibilities would be building an event program to honor Marcus, a renowned piano teacher at the school from 1968 to 1986. Before passing in 2005, Marcus established an endowment with the university asking that young piano players be encouraged and offered unique opportunities to enhance their skills.

In 2012, Tescarollo established the Gene Marcus Piano Competition, held annually in January and February, and the Gene Marcus Piano Camp and Festival which takes place each June. The camp is limited to middle and high school-aged participants, while the competition is open to devotees up to age 18 who live within a 100-mile radius of Fort Wayne. 

The finals and winners recital for the competition take place Sunday in the Rhinehart Recital Hall of the Music Center. 

Tescarollo has helped both events develop reputations expanding far beyond the region, inviting established classical piano stars to Fort Wayne to instruct and perform, nurturing young concert players to develop their talents. 

“I think she would be really proud of what he has accomplished,” said Susan Domer, former senior marketing and publications administrator for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, who knew Marcus. “This is exactly how she would have wanted her funds to have been administered. She would be thrilled.”

In fact, Marcus may still be tapping her toe and enjoying the music from heaven. 

Along with a talented staff of PFW faculty, alums, and student players, Tescarollo pours himself into the endeavor, recruiting, programming, and teaching at the camp each summer. Students receive significant group and individual instruction, and most keep returning throughout their high school years, the best recommendation possible.

Molly Papier, director of the Community Arts Academy, which includes the Gene Marcus Camp, said she often hears from younger students that they want to ensure their lessons are with Tescarollo.

“They want a piece of what he’s got to bring to the table,” Papier said. “The kids know that he is just serious, but so are they. They know what they are getting with Hamilton.”

As much as he energizes the students, Tescarollo said he ingests just as much energy from them. Part of the joy of the camp, he said, is that it generally includes about 14 students, which is just enough to provide quality individual attention. The competition draws 50-60 participants annually, and the PFW faculty judges drop out after the preliminary round. The three winners in four categories perform a final concert.

The camp may be the students' opening into a serious structure, and one of the goals is to help them gain the confidence to feel comfortable auditioning for future events, including potential college applications. 

“Part of it is we are providing them an opportunity to see if they want to do this because it is intensive,” Tescarollo said. “Often these kids are studying and practicing quite intently when they are 6 or 7 years old, and sometimes even younger. This program is set up for growth and to give the students really comprehensive opportunities.”

Several students over the 14 years have chosen to attend PFW and study under Tescarollo. During their time on campus, and sometimes even after, many have worked with the Marcus campers.

As Tescarollo said, music is communication, and learning to play the piano well takes time, effort, and consistent dedication. Maybe the best thing about the camps is that, instead of being ready for a break, these students leave energized and prepared to invest themselves in another year of progression.

“It’s very exciting to witness what they are doing and how committed they are,” Tescarollo said, “with all the beautiful performances they bring to show their progress from year to year.”

That response is the perfect reward for their teacher.

“I don’t think that you’ll meet someone who is any more dedicated to the piano than him,” said Jeremy Grall, director of the School of Music. “I think what we do in the School of Music is take someone when they come in and transform them in a sense, hopefully to a really high level. If we watch Hamilton with the students, that happens all the time, no matter the level of the student he’s working with.”

Marcus would be thrilled with those results.