Recognized by The Washington Post for her “quicksilver passagework” and “tender lyricism”, Francesca Hurst is in demand as a soloist, collaborator, and educator. In 2022 she was named to the Performing Artist Touring Roster of the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Her solo album featuring music by three living women composers will be released soon. Concert engagements this season include solo recitals for the Washington International Piano Series (DC), Tulane University’s Concert Piano Series (LA), the Ward Virts Concert Series (MD), the Davies Concert Series (MD), Virginia Tech’s Concert Artist Series (VA), the Rappahannock Concert Association Series (VA), the Baillie Steinway Series (ME), and more. She has given masterclasses and workshops at Virginia Tech, Christopher Newport University, and The University of Mary Washington.

Dynamic and engaging, listeners have described Dr. Hurst’s playing as “moving and compelling” and “powerful yet sensitive”. Classically trained, she fell into the new music scene in 2013, when a last-minute gig with Great Noise Ensemble turned into a decade-long engagement as their pianist. At ease with a wide range of repertoire, she makes sense of the music regardless of style and period, is passionate about communicating with audiences, and has a special interest in music by women. She recently curated the interdisciplinary concert Out of the Shadows: Celebrating Women in the Arts, featuring faculty and students of the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art, in honor of Women’s History Month. During the pandemic, she created the 100-day online series Daily Dose of Piano, which featured music from the Baroque to today, including 14 premieres.

Dr. Hurst has performed at such venues as the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, many embassies in Washington, DC, Brookfield Place in New York, and internationally in Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, and France. She has been a featured soloist with I Solisti di Perugia in Italy and the Orquestra de Camara de Cascais in Portugal. She has also appeared as a solo and collaborative guest artist at many new music festivals, including the Atlantic Music Festival, New Music Delaware, the Bang on a Can Music Marathon, New Music Gathering, New Music DC, and Charlotte New Music Festival. An advocate of new music, Dr. Hurst has performed and premiered works by composers like Jennifer Margaret Barker, Armando Bayolo, Martin Bresnick, Rahilia Hasanova, and Marc Mellits. Other collaborations have included performances with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, Newprism Ensemble, and Karen Reedy Dance, and a yearlong residency with the Polaris Piano Trio, a group dedicated to performing music by women and composers of African descent. This season she is appearing as a guest artist with Fuse Ensemble for concerts in Richmond, VA and Brooklyn, NY.

An effective and innovative teacher, Dr. Hurst creates an inclusive and positive learning atmosphere where students feel welcomed, valued, and respected. She teaches private piano and directs the piano pedagogy program at The Catholic University of America, and is also on the piano faculty at the University of Virginia. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the College Music Society, and MusicLink Foundation, and is often invited to judge competitions and give master classes. She was invited to give a presentation for the Richmond Music Teachers Association in October 2025, and in November 2025 she will be presenting and performing at the Virginia Music Teachers Association state conference. In addition, she maintains a thriving private piano studio in northern Virginia, and taught piano and music courses for several years at Trinity Washington University. Dr. Hurst holds a D.M.A. and M.M. in Piano Performance from The Catholic University of America, and a B.F.A in Piano and a B.A. in Italian from Tulane University. She has been teaching at The Catholic University of America since 2001.