Mrs. Diana Galindo

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY OF DIANA GALINDO

Diana Galindo has garnered international recognition as a pianist, singer, teacher and lecturer.  Diana’s performances and teaching have taken her to 4 continents and include solo piano performances throughout Europe, including Barcelona, Madrid, Denmark and Hamburg and teaching at Institutes and Festivals in Australia, Peru, Puerto Rico and throughout the US.

Since receiving a B. Music in Piano Performance and a minor in Voice from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Ms. Galindo has developed an interest in how talent is developed from the earliest stage.  This led her to create her Piano Technique Toolbox™—a collection of charming small toys designed to help those as young as 2 years old to develop foundational piano skills.  Ms. Galindo has been a featured presenter at conferences and workshops world-wide presenting her Technique Toolbox™, most recently to the Arizona State Music Teachers Association and on diverse topics of her interest and expertise, which include Singing Tone: Creating and Teaching Elegance at the Piano, presented in Denver Suzuki Teacher’s Association, Teaching with the Suzuki Method:  the Path to Mastery, presented at Metro State College, Beautiful Minds: Teaching and Parenting the Gifted Child, presented in Lima, Peru at the “Encuentro de Profesores” conference, Motivating Students to Efficient Practice, presented at the Colorado Suzuki Institute, Beaver Creek, CO.  Kindermusik® International published her adaptation of Kindermusik Beginnings into Spanish.

Performances as a soprano with the Orfeó Català include numerous programs in Barcelona and Madrid, including Mozart’s Requiem under Wolfgang Gönnenwein and the Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona in the Palau de la Música. Performances as soprano with the Mendelssohn Club include:  Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh under Mehli Mehta at the Mann Music Center-Philadelphia;  Glinka’s Ivan Susanin under Eve Quelar with the Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall;  An Evening with PDQ Bach under Peter Schikele in the Academy of Music-Philadelphia;  Mahler’s Symphony No.3 under Zubin Mehta with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Mann Music Center- Riccardo Muti-musical director;  Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under Tamara Brooks with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia at Lincoln Center; Britten’s War Requiem under Tamara Brooks with the New School Orchestra and the Boys Choir of Harlem in Carnegie Hall; Strauss’ Die Liebe Der Danae under Eve Quelar and the Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall.  Ms. Galindo appears in the Arabesque recording of Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht.

Ms. Galindo teaches all ages Piano and Voice through her studio in Flagstaff, Arizona. Suzuki methodology informs all of her teaching. At the local level, as well as in International competition, she has generated Gold Medal student winners in piano.  Diana has been a member of the faculties of Northern Arizona University as Instructor in Piano, as well as Coordinator of Student Piano Teachers at the NAU Preparatory Program, IBSTE in Barcelona, Spain, Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, Westminster Conservatory in Princeton and of the American School of Madrid, Spain.  She has served as Past President of the Northern Delaware Valley Music Teachers Association and as a Board Member of the Suzuki Associations of Philadelphia and Madrid, Spain.  She was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and was the SAA Piano Conference Coordinator in 2002.  Principal teachers include Andrew Mihalso, Paul Parmelee, and master class performance and instruction with Larry Graham and Storm Bull. She continued post graduate studies with pianist, Miquel Farré of Barcelona.

Galindo has been recognized as a nationally certified teacher of piano by the Music Teachers National Association, as a registered Teacher Trainer in Suzuki Piano by the Suzuki Association of the Americas.  She is a member of NATS – National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Whether teaching piano or voice, Ms.Galindo’s focus is on developing a beautiful tone and performing with ease and high musicality. Diana Galindo is dedicated to helping all students attain a joyful musical experience of personal excellence in a warm and friendly environment.

What Others Have to Say about Diana Galindo

Paul Parmelee, Professor of Piano, University of Colorado says, “Diana was one of the few truly supremely gifted people that I have taught in 43 years.  She had an intuition about sound, about phrasing, about expression that few have possessed.

Diana knows a good deal about music too:  repertoire, styles, appropriate performance techniques.  I saw Diana’s teaching…and I was enormously impressed.  Both beginning, intermediate and advanced students played in a highly musical manner. So much or most of this was due to the beautiful way Diana turned a phrase when showing the student how it should be done, in other words, her own intuitive and highly thought out playing of a passage from the music.  Then you could be aware of her patience and persistence in getting the child to play the passage beautifully and her quiet insistence on careful and regular practicing.  This was remarkable teaching. Some of the technical ideas, and general musical approaches are undoubtedly due to Diana’s obvious expertise in Suzuki principles, but I am also convinced that to a great degree that it is Diana’s own musicality, knowledge of how the piece should be played, personality and persistence and also thoroughness that are chiefly responsible for the beautiful playing I heard at all levels.  This is piano teaching at its very best.”

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Marie King Wolfe, mother of students, Christopher and Gregory, writes, “Without your support, I know we never could have survived the early Suzuki years.  Whenever it felt like we couldn’t do it anymore, you always came through with a word of encouragement, and your steady optimism saved the day.  We went on. 

I feel a special debt of gratitude to you for the vision of the children that you had that I needed you to help me see, their potential not just as musicians, but as fine, wonderful, beautiful treasures (in spite of their little quirks, which so often drove me to the brink).  Although many people admired their gifts, and praised them to me, you more than anyone helped me to love them as they are and to know that with the right direction, they will do great things and be great people.  So much of what they are is your gift to them, and to me.  I will miss those weekly visits to Willow Grove.  Even when they came two or three times a week, it was never too often, because I always came away with a sense of balance and peace and love that helped me get through the week.  I felt you believed in me and that gave me strength even when I believed little in myself.  So thank you, a thousand times.  We won’t ever forget you.”

Adam Guettel, Composer, Tony Award—Best Musical Score -Light in the Piazza. One of my first students at Camp Treetops, New York   

“Dear Diana,

I was so happy get your letter.  I remember singing with you and how wonderful and encouraging you were with me.  Didn’t we do B. Bacharach’s "I’ll never Fall in Love Again"?  And "The Sound of Silence" by P. Simon?  That room is also where I met David Loud who is very active in the theater and with whom I had the great pleasure of working last summer for a benefit.  I teach quite a bit now and part of why I love it so is that I remember my good teachers and know that teaching changes lives -  that I can’t do harm as long as I bring love and kindness and experience. 

Thank you so much for remembering me and taking the time to write.  My best to you and many many thanks,    Adam

Jillian Rowley, age 18,  student at Colorado Suzuki Institute blogs,  “Summer was AMAZING! First I went to Suzuki Insitute and saw Diana Galindo, who really turned the bad year around…Mozart: you’re always on top. Favorite composer and inspires me the most. Diana Galindo: The most amazing master teacher.”