Marie Alatalo

Dr. Marie Alatalo has taught piano for over thirty years. Her primary goals are to provide expert teaching to students and to help students realize their unique musical voice. The piano is approached with a natural hand position and a technique that focuses on flexibility. Students learn effective and productive practice techniques and are trained to become self-sufficient pianists. Encouragement is given to make piano and music a part of everyday life, to enjoy lessons and to transfer the self-discipline and confidence gained in piano study to other parts of life. Alatalo has appeared in concerts throughout the United States and Japan, capturing attention with a repertoire embracing both classical and contemporary literature. Her interest in contemporary music has gleaned performances of works by Bolcom, Rzewski, Hoiby, and many more. Her performance of George Crumb’s Makrokosmos, Book 1 at the Music Institute brought critical acclaim, describing Alatalo as having “a special sort of pianistic, and extra-pianistic, virtuosity” Her recordings are on Spotify and Itunes and feature pieces from Scarlatti through Bolcom, and on the SONY release, “Live in Osaka”, with the Eastman Wind Ensemble.