Betty Wishart’ began composing while studying piano with Richard Bunger. After earning degrees in piano performance from Queens University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she pursued studies in both piano and composition in New York City. Her music has been performed in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, England, Russia, South Korea, and throughout the United States at diverse venues including Academia Filarmonica di Bologna, International Composers Symposiums (France), Women Composers Festival of Hartford (CT), Leach Botanical Gardens (OR), Cape Fear New Music Festival (NC), Carmichael Hall (Washington, DC), University of California (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara), Third, Scots & Mariners Church (Philadelphia, PA), Third Street Music Settlement School (NYC), San Jose State University (CA), University of Alabama, American Swedish Institute, Music of American Women (NYC), Vox Novus Fifteen Minutes of Fame (WI), Pen Arts (Washington, DC) Tenri Institute (NYC), Temple University, and conferences of Delta Omicron, Society of Composers, Inc., Southeastern Composers’ League, Florida Music Teachers Association, and the National Association of Composers, USA. She has received awards from the American Pen Women, American College of Musicians, Composers Guild, Broward County Music Teachers Association, and special awards from ASCAP.
She was a semi-finalist in both the 2023 Vocal Chamber Music and Instrumental Chamber Music divisions of The American Prize and was a finalist in the Instrumental Chamber Music division of The American Prize in 2022. In 2021 five of Wishart’s compositions were performed by Tamara Licheli on NEW MUSIC FOR SOLO PIANO (Phasma Music). She received 2024 and 2022 Artist Support Grants from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. Her 2019 Regional Artist Project Support Grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County allowed her to compose and record MOODS, an album of piano music released in November 2020 by Ravello Records. MOODS….. ” An exceptional endeavor in the area of solo piano music, each selection brings the listener on an exhilarating and enlightening journey that truly showcases the boundlessness of the piano”(Take Effect Review). In March 2016 Ravello Records released Piano Sonorities, the debut album of Wishart’s piano music .…”an utterly beguiling collection of piano music (Classical Nowhere). In May 2017 Navona Records released Wishart’s Concertante No.1….Journey into the Unknown …”It is music of ponderous mystery, bounding across our listening space with great grace..” (Gapplegate Classical Modern Music Review). In 2019 Oracles for flute and piano ( Iwona Glinka, flute; Vicky Stylianou, piano) was released on Sarton Records’ HE album. Phasma Music released “Four Bibelots” for flute on the YODH album in December 2020. “Awaking” and “Frolicking” were included on flautist Iwona Glinka’s ONE MINUTE that was released by Sarton Records in March 2017.