Accompanists

Upper-Level Divisions (Youth, Intermediate, Pre-Professional and Professional Divisions) at the Ballet Austin Academy and ballet classes at the Butler Community School enjoy live musical accompaniment.

Billy Wolfe, Music Director
Billy Wolfe has worked as a pianist, music director and composer since moving to Austin in 1986. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in music in 1984, and was employed at UC Berkeley as an accompanist and music director in the Theatre & Dance Department under the direction of David and Marni Wood. In addition to being music director of the Bay Area Youth Theatre, Mr. Wolfe worked as an accompanist at the Berkeley Ballet Theatre under the direction of Sally Streets as well as at the California State University at Hayward.

After moving to Austin Mr. Wolfe immediately began working as an accompanist for The University of Texas and joined Ballet Austin in 1988. He was the musical director of the “Believe In Me” dance education program in six Central Texas school districts for six years and composed six original dance musicals performed at Bass Concert Hall. Other musical direction credits include Austin Community College and Austin Musical Theatre.

Mr. Wolfe has released three solo piano CDs under his own Wolven Music label, and in 2004 he was nominated for best original score by the Austin Critics Table for “Through the Mountain” choreographed by Andrea Beckham. In the spring of 2007 he toured Canada with the musical group Omar Lopez Experience. Mr. Wolfe has held various posts as church organist, choir director and piano teacher, as well as being a lounge pianist at Chez Zee, Truluck's and the Four Seasons.

Marietta Drummond, Resident Accompanist
Marietta Drummond played her first ballet class at age 13 and has been playing for dance ever since. After receiving her piano performance degree from Virginia State University and her graduate work from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, she taught piano and theory at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts before moving to New York City. While in New York she played for dance at City College, Dance Space, Steps, Broadway Dance Center, City Center, Perrydance, American Ballet Theatre and finally as staff pianist at Dance Theatre of Harlem for 10 years. Moving to Austin in 1998, Ms. Drummond began playing company class and academy classes at Ballet Austin as well as the University of Texas, Theatre and Dance Department. Ms. Drummond is very excited to be Resident Accompanist at Ballet Austin in their beautiful new facilities this year and to be a part of the new Butler Community School. Presently she is Music Coordinator for Dance at the Theatre and Dance Department at the University of Texas. The ballet tradition continues in her family with grand daughter Lily Kincannon beginning her 3rd year of ballet training with Ballet Austin Academy.

Olga Blednova, Accompanist
Kevin Carpenter, Accompanist
Stewart Cochran, Accompanist
Brian Grothues, Accompanist
Louis Hughston, Accompanist
Yu-Hsuan Liao, Accompanist
Andrew Throup, Accompanist