BIO:

 

Pianist Dr. Maria Perez, originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, has built a diverse and fulfilling career in music. Her early musical training took place in Puerto Rico before she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance with distinction from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. She continued her studies with a Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle, where her doctoral dissertation explored American pianist/composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk and his Caribbean-based compositions.

As a soloist, Dr. Perez has performed a range of concertos and recitals, including a notable debut with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico, where her interpretations of Mendelssohn's Concerto in g minor and Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle were well received. Her experience also includes appearances with various orchestras such as the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Beach Cities Symphony, Ontario/Chaffey Concert Band, Rancho Belago Symphony, Laguna Woods Symphony, and the Hour of Power Orchestra of the Crystal Cathedral.

Dr. Perez has collaborated with a variety of musicians, including Martin Chalifour, Lev Polyakin, Tenor Daniel Rodriguez, Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, Sopranos Ursula Kleinecke and Hayley Westenra, arranger Tom Scott, film composer John Debney, and Chinese Erhu player Ma XiaoHui. She has been featured on several television programs and live radio talk shows, highlighting her versatile musical skills.

In addition to her performance career, Dr. Perez is an active member of the Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) and has been on the faculty of the Claremont School of Music since 1993, where she teaches and mentors young musicians.

Outside of music, Dr. Perez enjoys hiking and backpacking, practices meditation, loves dancing to Latin music, and is learning Mandarin, reflecting her diverse interests and commitment to personal growth.

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