BIO:

 

Pianist Maria Perez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she received her early musical training. Ms. Perez earned a Bachelor's of Music degree in Piano Performance, with distinction, from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Master's and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle.

 

Her doctoral dissertation was on American pianist/composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk and his Caribbean-based compositions.

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As soloist, Dr. Perez has performed numerous recitals and a diverse repertoire of concerti. Her debut with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico was received with critical acclaim for her "captivating" and "bold" performances of Mendelssohn's Concerto in g minor and Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle.

 

Other orchestral solo appearances include the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Conservatory Orchestra, Beach Cities Symphony, Pomona Concert Ensemble, Rancho Belago Symphony, Laguna Woods Symphony and the Hour of Power Orchestra of the Crystal Cathedral. 

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She has been a featured musical guest in several television programs and live radio talk shows. As a collaborative musician, Ms. Perez's work has included performances with Martin Chalifour, Concertmaster of the LA Philharmonic, Lev Polyakin, Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, Tenor Daniel Rodriguez, Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, Sopranos Ursula Kleinecke and Hayley Westenra, arranger Tom Scott, film composer John Debney, and world renowned Chinese Erhu player Ma XioaHui. 

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Dr. Perez is a member of MTAC and has been on the faculty of the Claremont School of Music since 1993.

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