Dr. Scott Beard is a nationally recognized pianist, teacher, clinician, author and recording artist.  Recognized for his outstanding teaching abilities, he was named 2006 West Virginia Music Teacher of the Year and runner-up for West Virginia Professor of the Year in 2009.  His students have been top prizewinners in competitions at the state, regional, national and international level, including the Beethoven Society, Ithaca, Oberlin International, MTNA and National Symphony Concerto competitions.

Concerts as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist have taken him throughout the United States and to Canada, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Italy and Spain.   Recent recital appearances include Weill Recital Hall, the Tenri Cultural Institute (NYC), the American Embassy in Ecuador,  the Polish, Belgian & Danish Embassies, the Russian Cultural Institute and numerous universities throughout the East Coast.  In 2010, he completed his second European tour, performing in Palermo, Nice, Marseille, and Barcelona.  His concerts have been praised for their poetry, passion and innovative programming.

Dr. Beard has published articles in several national publications and his anthologies of ensemble music for piano are published by Alfred.  He is currently Chair of the Music Department and Dean of Graduate Studies at Shepherd University in West Virginia.