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Maria Grant

 Maria Grant
Instructor of Piano
Faculdade Santa Marcelina, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bachelor in Music, Piano Performance
Holy Names University
Master of Arts, Piano Pedagogy

About Maria

In addition to 28 years experience teaching ages three to pre-college and adults, Maria Grant gained invaluable pedagogical insight by teaching and practicing daily with her own daughter for 14 years. At her independent studio in Waconia (MN), the Comprehensive Piano Program she created has enabled young pianists to bloom into well-rounded musicians. They have performed with orchestras and won many statewide and national awards, including State Piano Contests, the American College of Musicians (ACM) Irl Allison and Paderewski Gold Medals, Senior High School Scholarship and Diplomas, Raissa Tselentsis Scholarship for the highest score in a 15-piece Bach program and the prestigious Interlochen High School Division Maddy Summer Piano Artist (2017). Besides teaching, she serves in the Judging Educational Committee of Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA), has evaluated hundreds of students as an MMTA-endorsed judge and National Guild Auditions, is an American College of Musicians Hall of Fame Teacher, and freelances as a collaborative pianist for concerto competitions and choir concerts. Soloist with various orchestras in Brazil and USA and winner of prizes as chamber pianist, she remembers fondly the great benefits of her own summer camp experiences.

Students are developed as a whole through their journey of learning the art of playing the piano. Both skills of music literacy and playing by ear should be developed and coupled for optimal artistic results. A teacher's high standards and positive role modeling, combined with a rich musical environment at home, will enhance a student's love of music for life, and increase their sense of self and humanity. Beginning with their very early stages, students perform to celebrate their increasing accomplishments at the piano, and their joy of playing contributes greatly to the creation/development of healthy local musical communities.

  • American College of Musicians (ACM) Hall of Fame
  • ACM Certified Music Teacher
  • ACM National Honor Roll
  • Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA) Judging Educational Committee Member
  • MMTA Endorsed Judge
  • MMTA Master Certified Teacher
  • MMTA Convention Piano Master Classes Program Coordinator
  • Musiclink Foundation Hall of Fame Teacher
  • Musiclink Foundation Honored Teacher.
  • Suzuki Association of Minnesota (SAM) Board of Directors Member (2010-2007)
  • SAM Piano Master Class Program Coordinator
  • Guest Pianist for Holy Names University (HNU) Orchestra, HNU Chamber Singers and HNU Kodaly Choir
  • Fundacion Antorchas Scholarship Winner to Bariloche's International Chamber Music Festival (Argentina)
  • Best Accompanist at the Piracicaba String Competition (Brazil)
  • Firestone Prize in Chamber Music at Londrina Festival (Brazil)
  • Piano and Chamber Music Instructor at Universidade Livre de Musica (ULM) Tom Jobim (Brazil)
  • Creator and Coordinator of the Group Piano Program at ULM (Brazil)

B.M., Piano Performance - Santa Marcelina College

M.M., Piano Pedagogy - Holy Names University