Cindy St. Clair, associate professor of piano and area coordinator of keyboard studies at Samford University’s School of the Arts, was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame in October. St. Clair is one of 43 music educators from the United States and Canada to be inducted this year.

“It is a profound honor to be inducted into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame,” St. Clair said. “This recognition is deeply humbling and a testament to the enduring influence of the exceptional teachers who have guided and inspired me throughout my journey. I am privileged to share this honor with the extraordinarily gifted, diligent and disciplined students I have had the opportunity to teach. It brings me immense joy to contribute, even in a small way, to helping them discover their God-given passions and pursue their highest aspirations.”

St. Clair, a Samford 1990 and 2009 alumna and leader in music education, is the founding president of the World Piano Teachers Association USA–Alabama Chapter and a certified teacher through the Music Teachers National Association. An internationally acclaimed pianist, she has performed across the United States and Europe as both a soloist and collaborator, with notable appearances at the Classical Music Festival in Austria and the World Piano Conference in Serbia.

“Dr. St. Clair exemplifies the excellence and dedication we strive for in the School of the Arts,” said Lance Beaumont, dean of Samford’s School of the Arts. “Her induction into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame is a testament not only to her remarkable talent and commitment to music education, but also to the caliber of faculty we are proud to have at Samford.”

As one of only a few music educators from Alabama to have ever received this distinction, her achievement marks a meaningful milestone for her career, while also underscoring the quality of St. Clair’s exceptional dedication to music education, mentorship and artistic excellence.