Dr. Andrew Peter Millar

October 14, 1965 – May 4, 2026

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Dr. Andrew Peter Millar, pianist, educator, scholar, and devoted husband and dog dad, passed away on May 4, 2026. He was sixty years old. Born on October 14, 1965, in Wellington, New Zealand, Andrew spent his life in tireless and joyful service to music: as a performer who moved audiences to their feet and to tears, as a teacher who transformed his students' relationship with sound, and as a visionary educator who believed deeply that great music belongs to everyone.

Andrew's journey with the piano began at the age of three, a beginning so early that his life’s purpose was revealed. His extraordinary gifts were recognized when he won New Zealand's national piano competition, earning him a place in the prestigious piano performance program at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the rare and memorable honour of performing at New Zealand embassies across the world. Along the way, he earned scholarships to study in Hungary and in London, immersing himself in the European and Romantic traditions that would inform his artistry and intellect for the rest of his life.

Andrew pursued his formal education with the same devotion he brought to the keyboard. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Auckland (1984–1989), before crossing the Pacific to study at Texas Christian University, where he earned his Master's Degree and Graduate Performer's Certificate in Piano, with studies in music theory, conducting, and composition (1990–1993). He then joined the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) — one of the foremost conservatories in the United States — where he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance (1993–2004). His doctoral studies encompassed advanced music theory, performance practices, pedagogy, the social and cultural contexts of music, and vocal accompaniment and coaching through the Opera program. He further distinguished himself with a Certificate of Arts Management in Community Institutions from the National Guild for Community Arts Education, a credential that reflected his belief in music's essential role in civic and communal life.

Andrew's career was as wide as his curiosity and as deep as his compassion. He served for three decades on the faculty of CCM's Preparatory and Community Engagement program, where he chaired the Preparatory Piano and Certificate Program and served on the steering committee that helped CCM Prep achieve full membership in the National Association of Schools of Music, which was a landmark achievement for pre-college music education. As a professor at The Ohio State University, he taught piano, keyboard musicianship, and music theory within rich social and cultural contexts, collaborating with faculty colleagues on projects exploring music, Romanticism, and the mind. He also received a Racial Justice grant to expand access to rigorous, equitable music education for students of all backgrounds. Through his Studio of Music LLC, he taught students ranging from the most ambitious young performers to adult recreational learners seeking their first, joyful encounter with music.

In his later years, Andrew devoted himself to a vision both practical and profound: the democratization of musical knowledge. His digital platform, The Musician's Etudes: A Structure of Musical Knowledge and Experience, offered students a comprehensive and freely accessible map of musical knowledge, from foundational skills through advanced studies, oriented especially for keyboard learners. He was inspired by technology's power to lower the cost of first-class education, to reach students across geographies and circumstances, and to create new and vibrant ways for students, teachers, and audiences to connect. He was a facilitator with Global Music and Wellness, assisting in participatory music-making programs that promoted active engagement with music as part of a healthy and fulfilling life.

Anyone who knew Andrew, can attest that he was brilliant. The way Andrew played the piano created something that reached beyond words. He had a rare gift: the ability to move people, to stir something deep within them, simply by letting his soul speak through the keys. His performances invoked tears in the eyes of strangers, smiles across faces, and hearts quiet in awe because of the way Andrew translated notes into emotions. His music was not just beautiful; it was transformative.

As a teacher, he did not merely show his students how to play the notes; he helped them understand the emotions the composer wished to invoke, and made every student feel that they, too, could demonstrate that meaning. Andrew was patient with those who struggled. He was generous without reservation, and he had a dry, ironic wit, a quick and sparkling intelligence, and a warmth that left everyone around him feeling inspired and encouraged. Andrew had a way of seeing the world as one that is both clever and compassionate. His humor was never cruel, and he never diminished anyone with it or with his brilliance.

Outside the studio and the concert hall, Andrew loved the natural world with equal intensity. He was a devoted hiker, a lover of trees and the turning of seasons, and a man who found restoration and wonder in a long, contemplative walk. He was a joyful and loving dog dad to Georgia-Ruth, Kowhai, and Pamela-Lilsen. He met his wife, Dr. Amy Welling Gregg, on June 26, 2007. They were married on June 25, 2011, and what followed was a deeply loving, joyous, and sustaining partnership.

For eleven years, Andrew and Amy faced cancer together. Eleven years of treatments, uncertainties, endurance, and love that, by Amy’s own testament, only grew stronger with every year that passed. Through it all, Andrew never lost his identity to cancer. He remained himself: kind, funny, determined, and brilliant. He continued to teach, to create, to play, to inspire.

Quite simply, Andrew made the world more thoughtful, more musical, more interesting, more enjoyable and more humane simply by being in it.

Dr. Andrew Peter Millar is survived by his beloved and devoted wife, Dr. Amy Welling Gregg, and his sister, Grace Millar, of Australia. His parents predeceased Andrew, Walter Millar (1991) and Lilsen Rathsack Millar (2009). He is also survived by his adoptive Ohio family, the Watkins clan- Bob, Paul, Mark, Wendy, and Susan and his Welling Gregg family, most importantly, Pamela Welling Gregg.

A celebration of Andrew will be held much later in the year and by invitation only.