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The piano in my parents’ living room is still missing ivories from some of my more impassioned childhood practice sessions. Music has led me over and over again to that fertile ground of personal growth achieved through the intersection of hard-work and joyful play. As a teacher, my goal is to be a supportive, centering, and perspective granting presence. I help my students wherever they are on their music journey by creating and holding a space where they can feel safe and inspired to explore music. In this space they learn music not only as a talent, but as a way of knowing themselves. Students come to trust their own voices (sometimes literally), and develop a joy for curiosity and problem solving that will serve them for a lifetime.

When not teaching, I perform both locally and abroad as an opera and concert singer. Most recently I was featured as the soprano soloist with New Dominion Chorale and the Friday Morning Music Club Chorale here in DC. My most recent international performance, in Graz, Austria, was with opera studio of the American Institute of Musical Studies. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree with focus on Music and Literature from Bennington College in southern Vermont, and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In addition to singing, I enjoy running long distances (very slowly), hiking in Shenandoah Valley National Park, and snuggling with my little cat Gretel. As an artist and a teacher of artists, I am inspired and by the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who reminds us “It’s not about proving anything. It’s about sharing something.”

Annie Schwartz – Youtube