Irene Longacre-Whiteside

Born in Canada, Irene grew up in a musical family in Calgary, Canada. She received her first piano lesson at the age of 3, when she tagged along with her older brother to his piano lessons from a neighbor who noticed she had perfect pitch. She studied at the University of Calgary, and on scholarships for 2 years at the Mozarteum, in Salzburg, Austria. Her main teacher influences are Gyorgy Sebok, Menahem Pressler, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She taught at the Mount Royal University Conservatory & Academy for Gifted Children in Calgary for 25 years.

In 1999, she retired from teaching and performing, and moved to California, where she pursued other careers in politics, administration, and running several of her own companies. In 2016, now working full time at DFW Airport in Texas, she was encouraged to play the piano again, and for the next 4 years she struggled to regain her technique after a 17-year absence. She went on to win first place in the PianoLink International Amateur competition in 2020, as well as the Washington DC International competition known as WIPAC, and other first places and honorable mentions at International competitions, such as the Chopin Amateur (Poland), Piano Bridges (Russia), and San Diego. She has also performed several solo recitals in Milan, Italy, and also with the PianoLink Symphony in Milan, as well as the Fort Worth Symphony during PianoTexas in 2023.