Maria Fomina (Tanabe) was born into a family of musicians. She started studying piano at age 5 and made her debut with the symphony orchestra at age 8. She studied at Moscow Music College, UCLA, and the Manhattan School of Music, where she was granted a full scholarship and earned a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance (2001). Her teachers included such distinguished musician as Vitaly Margulis and Solomon Mikowsky.
Ms. Fomina has performed in solo recitals in the USA, Russia, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Japan, and Turkey. She has also appeared as a soloist with Moscow Symphony, Tenerife Symphony, Southwest Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Carson City Symphony and other orchestras. Her extensive repertoire includes Mozart (Concerto No 27), Beethoven (Concerto No 1), Rachmaninoff (Concerto No 2, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini), Prokofiev (Concerto No 3), and much more. Maria is a winner of international competitions including California International Young Artists Competition and Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition.
In addition to her active performance schedule, Maria has extensive teaching experience at the K-12 and college level. She is an official Steinway educational partner and was voted top piano teacher of 2023 by Steinway Hall.
Student Testimonials
I've been taking piano lessons with Maria for about two years now. I moved to online piano lessons during the pandemic and found that she was still just as professional and patient. She helped me adjust with ease and I've found that her effective teaching techniques, consistency, and confidence in me has made me a better piano player. Maria is an extremely talented artist and her creative expression makes her unlike any other teacher I've had in the past! I highly recommend her.
- Samantha F.
Maria is my first piano teacher and I couldn’t ask for a better one. I’ve learned plenty of new things in the little time I’ve been her student and overall I just feel very refreshed every time I walk out of a lesson, almost like a new person. She has a lovely and charming personality, encourages me, and has tons of patience.
- Andrew G.
My two kids, aged 6 and 9, studied piano with Maria for two years. They loved her and learned so much from her. I was amazed at the progress they made in such a short period of time. She is able to get amazing results with kids while teaching in a fun and creative way. I would highly recommend her as a teacher for kids.
- Laura A.