American Conductor

Lucy Ardans Scarbrough, born in Encino, New Mexico, was the youngest of ten children. Her musical journey began with piano lessons from her mother, followed by studies with the esteemed American pianist and teacher Silvio Scionti, and later the Russian pianist Maurice Lichtman. As a teenager, she developed a deep passion for the music of Frédéric Chopin, a connection that would shape her life’s work.

Scarbrough pursued her education at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, earning her doctorate and studying under distinguished musicians such as Leo Sowerby. She continued her piano studies with the renowned Rudolph Ganz while teaching at the Chicago Musical College.

After marrying, she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she taught at St. Pius X High School and founded the Albuquerque Interparochial Choir. She also served as Music Director for the Albuquerque Light Opera Company. Her final move was to El Paso, Texas, where she established the El Paso Community College (EPCC) music department, the Opera a la Carte (later known as El Paso Opera), and the El Paso Civic Orchestra, which she conducted for 30 years. Scarbrough continued teaching at EPCC until the spring of 2020.

Scarbrough’s most notable achievement was founding the El Paso Chopin Festival, an internationally recognized event that celebrated Chopin’s works. In 2019, she was awarded the Meritorious for Polish Culture medal by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, honoring her contributions to promoting Chopin’s music to American audiences.

Throughout her illustrious career, Scarbrough received numerous accolades, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Higher Education Award of Texas, the National Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin, and the Hispanic Heritage Award in 2014. She was inducted into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996, leaving a legacy of dedication to music and education that continues to inspire.