Showcase Concert at the Hobby Center, Presented by the International Music Academy

Houston, TX, January 18, 2023 --(PR.com)-- On January 21 at 7:00 PM the Hobby Center will host a Showcase Concert for the International Music Academy, one of the oldest and most established music schools in Houston. The concert will present world-class classical musicians performing alongside their prize-winning virtuoso students. The International Music Academy was founded in 2005 by two graduates of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music who were committed to raising the level of pre-collegiate music education in Texas. Now, eighteen years later, it is home to seventeen teachers and 300 exceptional students. IMA musicians have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and Albert Hall in London, as well as throughout Europe, Russia, and China. They have also appeared on radio and television and won numerous national and international awards, including every major competition in Texas.

IMA founders and directors Matthew and Katarina Loudermilk have developed a unique music school model which emphasizes high standards of performance. The foundation of this approach is the fostering of student/teacher relationships. Once accepted into IMA, students are assigned to a specific teacher who becomes responsible for their musical growth. The IMA emphasis on performing requires every student in the program to perform in two recitals a year and to pass a jury (piano exam). Students are also able to choose among a wide variety of competition experiences, which are invaluable for both students and their parents.

As well as being professional pianists and teachers, both Matthew and Katarina have assumed leadership roles in musical pedagogy. They have developed a successful teacher training program which is designed to structure music education for every child, giving students direction and a sense of purpose. The compact and simple six-lecture training program has drawn attention from other music institutions as a successful model for emphasizing quality teaching over quick fixes.

The January concert will feature IMA teachers with their virtuoso students playing music from Bach to Rachmaninoff, from Baroque through Modern. Come to the Hobby Center and witness, in one evening, the journey from young musician to professional artist.