DMA & MM (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), BS & BMus (Cairn University)

Cairn University: Adjunct Faculty

Rebekah Stiles is a pianist and educator working at the intersection of theology and the arts. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Piano Performance and Bible from Cairn University and a M. Mus. and D.M.A. in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As a performer, Rebekah is a versatile interpreter of both solo and chamber repertoire, with experience in the US and abroad. She has been a repeated participant in the Piano Plus Festival’s Summer Institute in Xánthi, Greece, and she has also performed as soloist at Carnegie Hall, receiving first-place honors in the Crescendo International Piano Competition. Her recent concert performances include works of Brahms, Janáček, Ligeti, and Barber, as well as a trio recital featuring works by Mozart, Ernest Bloch, and Rebecca Clarke. 

Rebekah currently works as a member of the adjunct music faculty at Cairn University as well as an Affiliate Artist. From 2020-2024, Rebekah held graduate teaching assistantships and fellowships from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she served as an instructor of record within the Keyboard Skills program. In addition, she served for two years as Assistant Coordinator for the Lincoln Community Piano Experience, a recreational group piano course for adults. Outside of academia, Stiles has served as faculty for the Lied Center Piano Academy, as well as the Csehy Summer School of Music since 2023. She also takes joy in working with private students of all levels, maintaining a private studio in the Bucks County area.

As a scholar and performer, Rebekah is deeply interested in the intersection of worldview and art, specifically the musical implications of major theological rifts within Christendom. Her doctoral research explored the musical trichotomy of Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions via select works of J. S. Bach, Olivier Messiaen, and Arvo Pärt. She recently presented this research in lecture recital form at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Concordia University in Seward, NE, as well as in a six-week Christian Education series at Trinity Church in Hatboro, PA. She also teaches courses at Cairn University on the subject of theology and the arts, offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level.