My piano training began at five. At the High School of Music and Art and at the Julliard Preparatory School in NYC, I studied piano, violin and clarinet. My love affair with the piano continued when I attended Barnard College. I received a Masters Degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Maryland. Since then I have taught piano, studied with master teachers, and performed with chamber groups.

At the same time I was pursuing an interest in mathematics and computers, and later a career in information technology. This provided me with the exciting opportunity to spend several years working on computer generated music at the renowned Bell Laboratories in New Jersey.

Since moving to Washington I have been busy with the organizational aspects of music making. The founders of the Levine School of Music asked me to serve as a faculty recruiter and to assist with curriculum development. I became a member of the School's Board of Directors. Later, I was a cofounder of the Washington Vocal Arts Society and very active with the Washington Concert Opera as Board Member and Treasurer. More recently, I was invited to perform at the Smithsonian Institution as the pianist for a series of illustrative songs in courses on Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Strauss.

You will find The Music Making Studio an innovative, relaxed, and stimulating environment. No matter your age, you will experience the deep satisfaction of having fun, while working hard to learn something new. Not only will you learn about music. You will discover something new in yourself. Confidence grows and spills into other aspects of your life. This is true for adults as well as for children. Indeed, as we get older it is important to challenge ourselves to be learners.

My approach permeates all that happens at The Music Making Studio. It is about the love of music. I teach people of all ages how to participate in and appreciate music, as well as how to play the piano. This is a matter of feeling, listening and understanding, as well as of technical proficiency.

You will play a beautiful, seven foot Steinway grand piano during lessons. I teach classical piano technique, which provides the foundation for any genre of piano playing. My approach is relaxed and committed to a well-rounded musical education. Stress and anxiety are not part of my musical philosophy. But hard work certainly is, because it brings great personal reward.

Please contact me at ppalombo@musicmakingstudio.com or at 301-530-1742 and join The Music Making Studio. It is a special place and I would like you to be part of it.