In August of 2020 Dr. Diana Belland, beloved wife, mother, teacher, friend, and colleague, lost her battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Diana was a formidable pianist, making her debut at the age of 15 playing the Mendelssohn G minor concerto with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was a graduate of The Juilliard School and earned master and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University.
Dr. Belland began her teaching career at Eastern Kentucky University and Pikeville College, then moved on to a nearly forty year career as a teacher and performer at Northern Kentucky University.
Diana will be remembered for her tireless work for her students and her strong support of local teachers. She played a role in bringing countless opportunities for professional development and enrichment to the area, including founding the annual NKU Piano Pedagogy conference, now in its tenth year. She was a strong supporter of MTNA, and spent several years mentoring aspiring teachers through the NKU collegiate chapter. Her legacy as an educator is alive through the countless individuals she impacted over the years who are promoting music and music education throughout the country.
Diana retired from NKU in 2018, and had been looking forward to spending time with her husband and daughters, as well as pursuing her interests in hiking, travel, water painting, and fiddle. You can read about her life and journey here.