Music Theory with Maria S.

An experienced teacher and performer, Maria seeks to inspire in students an ongoing curiosity and love towards learning and music making. In over 16 years of teaching experience, she has taught students of all ages and aspirations, and is equally enthusiastic about working with a beginner as with a professional young artist or an adult amateur. She believes that music learning is one of the most beautiful paths towards self-discovery, building confidence, and developing a positive work ethic and problem-solving skills that will serve one throughout their life, no matter which professional paths they choose to pursue. Maria holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the Frost School of Music (University of Miami), as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano performance from Rowan University and Indiana University - Bloomington. Her extensive knowledge of piano repertoire accumulated throughout her education and professional activity as a performer and pedagogue enables her to guide her students through repertoire that is fitting, stimulating, engaging, and emotionally fulfilling and enriching. She has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist in Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Germany, Hungary, and the United States. Her solo and chamber music repertory reflects her versatile musical interests spanning from Baroque to newly composed works.Maria has received numerous awards at national and international competitions in Europe and the United States. Winning the 2013 Graduate Presser Music Award at the University of Miami made possible her recording debut with “The 35 Keyboard Sonatinas by J.A. Benda” (the first recording of the complete set), released on Élan Recordings in 2015. She is the co-founder and current Chair of Board of Directors of Kaleidoscope MusArt, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting classical music as a comprehensive and dynamic art form by working with emerging artists and composers to present new, rarely-heard, and well-known works. Previously a piano faculty member at the Frost Preparatory Program (Miami, FL), and Rowan University (NJ), she currently teaches applied piano and chamber music at Loyola University Chicago.