First place winners at the 2009 Ellis Piano Duo Competition, 88SQUARED also won the Abild Prize for American music. The duo won second prize at Concours Grieg International Piano Competition in Norway, where they performed with members of the Oslo Philharmonic and received a Special Mention Prize. 88SQUARED recently premiered Lowell Liebermann’s Sonata for Two Pianos at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore, University of British Columbia (Canada) and the 2012 National Conference of Music Teachers National Association in New York City. They were praised by The Straits Times of Singapore for their “fearless” playing. The duo recently recorded Liebermann’s complete works for two pianos with the composer serving as producer. Recipients of Washington State University’s New Faculty Seed Grant, 88SQUARED commissioned and premiered new two-piano works by Heather Schmidt and Daniel Ott at their debut recital in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as winners of the Artists International Competition. 88SQUARED has been presented in recital by Camerata Musica, University of Puget Sound’s Piano Festival, Victoria Conservatory of Music (Canada), Washington State Music Teachers’ Association, and the National Federation of Music Clubs national and state conventions in Florida, Iowa, and DC. 88SQUARED was selected to perform at the 2010 Chamber Music America Showcase in Long Beach, CA, and was awarded a 2010 GAP Artist Trust Award. The duo has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center, Rutgers Church Piano Recital Series in New York City, Bowdoin Music Festival, and the Auditorium Chamber Series.

88SQUARED is comprised of married pianists Jeffrey Savage and Karen Hsiao Savage, both of whom received masters and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School. Major teachers include Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jonathan Feldman, Angela Cheng, and Robin Wood. While at Juilliard, Jeff and Karen were invited to perform for Juilliard’s board of directors, where they shared the stage with Peter Schickele (PDQ Bach.) Individually they have performed in major international venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, the Shanghai Grand Theater, Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Kyoto’s International Chamber Music Festival. Both serve on the piano faculty of Washington State University’s School of Music and are frequent guest-teachers and adjudicators through Music Teachers National Association. Their students have been medalists in state and regional competitions. The Savages reside in Pullman, Washington with their young son.